Souless
by ToniLOVESjolie
Summary: Jolie centric mashup of Supernatual and Xmen.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The small motel room smelt of old beer and sweat. Not the best of combinations but she had seen and smelt worse over the years. This is what her life had become, moving from one place to another, never staying to long, always on guard. She sat now by the small window that had the curtains closed as she peered through a small slit and aimlessly sharpened the large knife in her hand. She had been out in this dark world for too long now, no turning back ever. This was her fate, doomed to roam the streets in search of the darkness that laid in the shadows just out of reach.

The sound of the door being unlocked made her instantly jump up as she held her knife out, aimed at the opening door.." Damn it Natalie, one of these times your gonna cut me" her brother Rex said as he stepped in with a bag full of chips and soda..

She immediately put the knife down as she looked at him. "i told you to get real food this time Rex" she huffed angrily..

"yeah well you try and get real food on less then five dollars" he said sarcastically as he put the bag down.

They had been living like this for years now with little to no money, it was getting tiring and old but they both knew it was better then the alternative which would most likely leave them both dead or worse.

She grabbed a bag of chips and headed back to the window as she looked out. To say she was paranoid would be an understatement.

"Nat seriously we haven't seen anything in weeks now" Rex said as he opened a can of soda and took a sip.."Maybe we could just settle down here, get real jobs" he began as she looked at him hard..

"the deal is we don't stop moving, you know whats out there Rex even if we haven't seen it" she said seriously as she looked back out the window..

Rex sighed heavily as he sat down on the bed, making it creak loud as she looked at him.."I'm tired Nat, I don't want to run anymore" he said honestly..

"and thats the kind of thing that will get you killed out there" she shook her head as she looked back out the window and then she stiffened some..

"i think I may just die of insanity first" Rex began as she put her hand up..

"quiet, somethings out there, turn off the light" she said as she kept looking out the window..

"Nat there's nothing" he began but a strange sound was heard outside as he stiffened and then immediately shut off the light as he moved over towards her and she continued to peer out the window.."what is it, can you see it" he whispered..

"shh." she motioned to him as her own breathing began to quicken and then a black shadow moved fast past the window as they both jumped back..

"Holy shit" Rex whispered with a shaking voice as Natalie pushed him back more and the sound of something scratching at the door made them both look..She didn't even need to tell him to get back because in seconds he was on the other side of the room as he fumbled with the one gun they had. It was a large shot gun that they had acquired about a year ago and even though he could barely shoot the darn thing, well it was all they had..

Natalie quickly moved to the other side of the door, knife in hand as she leaned her back against the wall and quickly looked at Rex..Her hand moved to the doorknob as Rex watched her with wide eyes..

"Nat don't" he said but it was too late as she quickly turned the handle and pulled the door open, lunging into the doorway with her knife but nothing was there, nothing at all.."man that scared the shit out of me" Rex said with a shake of his head as he laughed a bit nervously..

"Quiet" Natalie said as she looked at him for a split second and that was all it took for her to go crashing to the floor as something dark and heavy laid on top of her. It all happened so fast as she tried to fight off the large beast that pinned her to the ground. The feeling of icy cold skin and death filled the room as she fought against her attacker.

The shot gun went off once and then twice, filling the room with the smell of gunfire and smoke. The flashes of light in the dark room outlined the massive creature on her as she kicked and yelled. The knife in her hand slashing into tough leather like skin..

A clawed hand came to her throat as it squeezed and she fought to stay conscious. She could hear Rex yelling and another gunshot going off. She could feel her life slipping away and all she could think is that this was a shitty way to go. After all they had been through, after the years of running she was going to die on the floor of a dirty motel room with not even a dime to her name or a legacy to follow. As the darkness surrounded her and she gasped for air she saw her life flash before her eyes. She saw her mother laying helplessly on the floor as Natalie watched in horror from underneath the couch. She had been drained of blood and left lifeless as Natalie cried silently.

She tried to think of a happier memory, one where her mother was alive and well. There were none, all replaced now with death and misery. A tear slipped from her eye as she finally accepted her shitty fate, she only hoped that Rex would get out of this in one piece and then everything went black.

The sound of shouting and bright lights brought her back to reality as she sat straight up only to see that she was surrounded by a handful of people, both men and women, all armed to the hilt. She quickly felt for her knife but a loud voice was heard as she spun her head around, still trying to get a grip on what was happening and there she saw a man standing nearly six and half feet tall. He not only had her knife in his hand but he had it to Rex's throat..

"don't even think about it girl" the man said to her as she quickly looked around again at the people standing around her. They had their guns aimed at her.."who are you" the man demanded..

"Listen im not here to" Natalie began as she tried to stand but one of the men pushed her back down onto the ground as he pointed the gun right at her head..

"I said who are you!" the man yelled again..

"No one ok, I just" she began to yell out with her hands up as she looked at a frightened Rex who had his eyes on her as the knife stayed tightly on his throat and he didn't dare move.."Listen ok" Natalie began as she looked at this large man through the darkness. A few flashlights filled the room with light but it wasn't enough to make out everyones features. For a moment she wondered if she was dreaming, or possibly dead and this was hell.

"where did you get this" the man yelled out, his voice rumbling through her..

"i don't understand" she began once more..

"The knife, the god damn knife where did you get it!" he yelled as he pressed the knife some into Rex's throat and a drop of blood fell to the floor as Rex winced..

"i...I found it" she finally said quickly..

"i swear to god I will slice his head off, where did you get the god damn knife!" he yelled again..

"John I think she is telling the truth" a womans voice was heard and then she stepped somewhat into the light. She had short blond hair that was a pixie cut. She wore all black leather and was completely armed with guns and knives on her body.

"i swear I just found it the other day, it was in an alley" Natalie said quickly as John looked at her and then within seconds he let go of his hold on Rex and pushed him onto the floor with Natalie She promptly grabbed his shaking hand and held it tight as John walked closer to them as he stared at the knife and then them...

"who do you work for" his voice was lower now but still held a threat behind it.

"I don't" Natalie shook her head some as she knelt on the ground..

"get up" John barked at them now as he held the knife and the people around them stepped back a bit but still held their weapons on them, all but the blond haired girl. Natalie and Rex quickly scrambled to their feet as they looked around.."I'm gonna ask you one more time, who do you work for!"

Before Natalie could answer a loud screeching sound was heard and within seconds she was knocked to the ground as gunfire was heard and people ran left and right..She looked at Rex who looked absolutely horrified and even though he was nearly twenty one years old she couldn't help but do what she always did, protect him..

"Go, Rex now!" she yelled as she pushed him forward and he took off running as darkness moved all around them and they both took off running down the nearly deserted street. The shapes of flying beasts filled the air as they kept running, bullets whizzing by them as they made a sharp turn and ran into nearby woods.

Nearly out of breath they ran as the sounds of gunfire got less and less. They dodged past branches and thick brush as they ran for nearly five minutes, finally stopping as they collapsed onto their knees breathing heavy and coughing for a good two minutes..

Finally Rex spoke as he looked at Natalie.."what the fuck"

"I don't know but we have to keep going" she said as her breathing began to calm down and she looked around quickly with paranoia..

"we got no weapons now" Rex said as he stood up and brushed off his knees.

"yeah well we will get some more, are you ok" she asked as she stood and looked at his neck that had a small cut on it.

Rex touched it and shook his head.."Yeah..i thought we were goners, who were they?"

"I don't know but im not gonna stay to find out, lets go" Natalie said quickly as they began to walk through the woods. She wasn't about to stick around to face those people again or better yet those flying beasts that covered the streets.

They walked through the dense woods until the sun began to come up and light there way. "you know maybe we should of just stayed with them" Rex began as Natalie looked at him as if he was crazy..

"they nearly split you in two Rex" she shook her head as they continued to walk.

"yeah well if we would of just explained to them" he began as they neared a creek and Natalie walked past him and knelt down to splash water on her face.."I'm just saying it would be nice to have protection" he added as she looked at him now..

"we have each other, thats all we need" she said abruptly as he knelt down to and cupped his hands in the water so he could drink it.."we'll head south towards the Carolina's" she said as she drank some of the water..

"were like hundreds of miles away Nat" Rex said as he stood up now.."we have no weapons, no money and now no where to sleep" he said with annoyance..

"we've done it before, we can do it again" Natalie said as she stood now and wiped her hands onto her dirty jeans. She wished she had at least taken a shower the night before. She hated feeling dirty but she would rather be dirty and alive then the alternative..."come on we gotta keep moving" she said as she began to walk but Rex just stood there. She made it a few steps and then stopped..

"I don't want to do this anymore Nat, im tired, im hungry" he stood with his hands on his hips as she turned and looked at him..

"Rex we have been over this a million times, its not safe out there" she began honestly..

"yeah well this isn't any better" he huffed.."were walking in the damn woods to god knows where" he quickly sat on the ground as she sighed..

"if you want to get somewhere to sleep and eat then we have to keep moving" Natalie huffed..

"No" Rex shook his head.."we've been on the road for years now, I cant even remember the last time I spent time with a girl who wasn't my sister"

"There are more important things to do then worry about damn girls Rex" she snapped..

"yeah well just because you want to live your life on the run" Rex laid back on the grass with his hands under his head as he stared up at the blue sky..

"I'm doing the best I can for us, thats all I have ever done" she snapped angrily at him but he didn't budge as she walked over to him.."what do you want me to do Rex, huh?"

"we should of went with them" he said quietly as he kept looking at the sky..

"and then we would have been dead, is that what you want!" she yelled as he looked at her now..

"if it means not having to spend one more fucking second staring at you then yeah, id rather be dead!" he yelled as he jumped up and walked past her..

"Rex" she said quietly now as he kept walking..

"I just need some space" he said as he walked away and she stood there for a moment more and then promptly sat on the ground with a huff. This couldn't be all that life would offer them, it just couldn't be.

Natalie leaned back on the grass and looked up at the sky, with a sigh she closed her eyes as images passed through her head. The same ones that filled her every waking moment and even haunted her dreams. It was her mother laying there lifeless as that beast feasted on her body and Natalie was completely helpless to do anything. All she could do was watch.

That was nearly ten years ago since she was thirteen. At first her and Rex were sent to a group home for misplaced children. Her mothers death was being called a murder but it was so much more than that. No one would listen to them, not even the police who had brushed it off as an overactive imagination as well as shock but they knew better.

They ended up in three foster homes over the years, each one worse then the last. Finally Natalie had had enough of the beatings and molestation that she had grabbed Rex in the middle of the night and they took off. They had been on the road for years, living on the streets, stealing and bargaining for money.

It wasn't shortly after that they had taken off that they yet again faced the darkness that hid in the shadows. It was not fantasy anymore but a reality. The world was a much darker and dangerous place. Evil did lurk and monsters were real.

The sound of footsteps made Natalie sigh as she began to talk as she sat up.."Rex, listen im sorry" she said as her eyes got wide and she saw the same man from earlier standing there. She quickly scrambled to her feet and grab a near by stick as he rolled his eyes at her..

"what are you gonna do with that" he said sarcastically..

"wheres my brother, what did you do to him!" she yelled out as she clutched the stick in her hand and backed up as she looked around quickly..

"put the stick down before you hurt yourself" he said mockingly as he pulled a large machete from the holster on his side and her eyes got wide. She backed up slowly with the stick in her hand..

"Just let me go alright" she tried to remain strong as she stood there but he stepped closer, the large machete literally glowing from the sunlight..Then out of no where the look on his face changed as he looked past her..

"get down!" he yelled and within seconds the machete was flying through the air and nearly sliced her head if she hadn't dropped to the ground hard. The sound of a large body hitting the grass made her roll over as she saw what could only be described as evil in its purest form now laying lifeless on the ground as she quickly scrambled to her feet as her heart raced.

The beast on the ground was completely black and huge, at least seven or eight feet tall. It's eyes were red as they stared blankly up at the sky. The machete stuck in its chest and then right before her eyes it burst into flames as she gasped.

"Natalie!" Rex called out as he came running over and then he stopped and looked at the thing on the ground.."holy shit, what the hell is that"

"a night walker, a dead one now" John said as he pulled the machete from the burning body..

"thank god your ok" Natalie said to Rex and then she noticed that they were surrounded once more and she tried to push Rex behind her but he wouldn't budge...

"Nat its ok, their cool" Rex began..

"like hell they are" Natalie said as she forced Rex behind her and John wiped off his machete as he looked at them..

"Is your sister always this thick headed" John said towards Rex..

Before he could answer Natalie did.."just back up ok..i don't want to hurt you" she called out to John and then looked at the others.

"Hurt me?" John laughed sarcastically.."sweetheart you couldn't hurt me if you tried"

"Nat listen to me" Rex began as she quickly looked at him..

"Rex is telling the truth, we wont hurt you" the blond haired girl said as she stood among the other people..

"I'm not gonna stand here and argue" John said quickly as he spun from them..

"Nat come on, we can go with them" Rex began pleading with her as the other people began walking away but the blond girl stayed behind.

"Are you insane, no way" Natalie yelled at Rex..

"You could have been killed by that thing" Rex yelled at her now.."i mean is that what you want, to be dead because your doing a damn good job at it" he walked past her now and over to the blond girl.

"Gigi lets get a move on!" John yelled as he walked and she looked at him and then back at Rex and then Natalie..

"we can help you" Gigi said softly to Natalie.

"I don't need your help, we don't need your help" Natalie yelled out.."Rex"

"I'm sorry Nat but im going with them" Rex said softly as Natalie put her hands on her hips and shook her head at him. She was pissed.."please Nat, just come"

"No... im not going" she stood her ground..

Rex looked at Gigi and then back at Natalie.."Just give me a minute and we will catch up" he said to Gigi who nodded her head and began walking away..

Rex walked over to Natalie.."I cant believe your doing this Rex, he would of killed you" Natalie began angrily..

"yeah and that thing would of killed you" Rex pointed down to the burnt body on the ground. "he saved you Nat" he said softly..

"I can take care of myself and I would have been able to kill that thing myself if he hadn't stole my knife!" she snapped as she looked at the body on the ground.

"damn it Nat stop being so stubborn already!" Rex yelled at her as he shook his head.."im going with them, you could either come or stay out here alone" he said seriously..

"they cant be trusted Rex, they cant" she said honestly..

"Yeah well I think I will take my chances" he said as he looked at the body on the ground and then at her as he began to walk away.

Natalie watched as he walked and she glanced at the charred remains on the ground. With a loud huff she began walking towards Rex.."hey Rex wait up" she finally called out as he stopped and looked at her. A smile forming on his lips.."I'm only doing this for you, and the first second shit begins were outta here" she said angrily as they began to walk. She didn't want to go with these strangers. Hell she didn't even know them or trust them but she couldn't leave Rex with them alone. She would kill them all if she had to.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Natalie walked cautiously through the woods. She couldn't believe that Rex was being so trusting and by the looks of things he had the hots for the blond haired girl and apparently the feeling was mutual because the young girl wouldn't stop smiling and laughing. Natalie on the other hand kept her eye on John as he walked ahead of everyone. She didn't trust anyone anymore and she wasn't about to start now.

A tall jock of a guy with short cropped hair made his way over to her as she kept walking.."thirsty?" he asked as he held out a bottle of water..

"No thanks" she said coldly as she avoided eye contact with him and kept walking.

"its not too much farther" he continued as she ignored him.."I'm Cris by the way" he smiled and she rolled her eyes now..

"and im not in the mood to talk" she said sarcastically..

Apparently he didn't get her cue as he continued.."how long you been out here?" she ignored him as he talked.." been about three years for me, these guys saved my life" he said as he continued to walk next to her.."you know were not so bad, we all want the same thing"

"and what exactly is that, huh" she finally spoke angrily as he looked at her..

Before he could answer her John called out to him.."Cris come here", the young guy didn't wait as he walked quickly up to John and Natalie sighed heavily as she looked over at Rex who was blushing from ear to ear. He glanced at her and smiled some as she rolled her eyes.

The sight of a few tents set up in the dense woods came into view. More people stood around and even a campfire was burning bright. The smell of food cooking filled the air as they got closer and the group of people she was walking with greeted the others with pats on the back.

Natalie stood awkwardly off to the side with her arms crossed over her chest as people began to look at her and Rex. The tall man John walked over to another equally tall man and whispered something to him as he too looked over at Natalie. She wondered if they would even be able to escape if needed. They were completely outnumbered and out weaponed.

"were cooking up some burgers if your hungry" Gigi said as she walked over with Rex..Natalie didn't say a word as Rex looked at her..

"give me a sec ok" he said to Gigi and then she walked away as he got closer to Natalie.."Nat their cool ok"

"yeah whatever you say Rex" she said sarcastically as she stood there stoic.

"Nat don't do this ok, they have shelter, they have food and hell they have enough people for protection" he began..

"fine Rex you can go ahead and trust them but don't ask me to do the same" she said as she turned from him and walked over to a tree and leaned against it.

Rex watched her as he stood there and Gigi walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder as he looked at her.."she'll come around"

"you don't know her" Rex said as he shook his head.."when she sets her mind to something" he began..

"well lets give her space then, come on lets get something to eat. I bet your starved" Gigi smiled softly at him and they headed back to the group as Natalie stood there and watched.

Natalie kept to herself against the tree as she watched everyone mingle and talk. Even Rex was getting in on it as he spoke to various people. She would never understand why he was still so trusting of people especially after everything they had been through. It wasn't just the monsters out there but people were just as bad. She glanced down at her wrists as she rubbed them. Faint scars were a reminder of how cruel the world really was.

"the food is good if you want some" a male voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she quickly looked up and tensed. A tall brown haired man stood before her.."I'm Michael by the way" he put his hand out to her but she didn't shake it..."your brother says your name is Natalie" he began as she continued to refuse to look at him.."i heard there was a rough start" he said as she looked up now..

"Your buddy nearly killed my brother" she said angrily as she stood now..

Michael looked over to the crowd of people and John looked over at him.."please don't mind my brother, he really has bad manners" he said apologetically.

Natalie looked at John now and then at Michael..She was a bit surprised to know that they were brothers..."I do believe that is an understatement" she said with a shake of her head as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"you should eat something, we have plenty of food" he said softly..

"yeah well I will pass" she said as she walked past him and further away from the crowd..

"that one is gonna be trouble" John said as he walked over, sipping on his beer..

Michael looked at him.."yeah well I mean you did almost cut her brothers head off" he said sarcastically..

"what can I say its a dog eat dog world out there" John shrugged his shoulders at his brother.."and besides I didn't want them to come along anyways"

"they are fighting the same battle as us John, for once maybe have some compassion" Michael said honestly..

"thats why we got you, always the sympathetic one" John said sarcastically.."anyways im going to bed" John turned from him and then began to walk away but he stopped.."Just so you know if shit goes south I wont hesitate to take them out" he finished as he walked away and Michael stood there and sighed heavily.

Natalie found yet another tree to lean against as she sat on the ground and stared at the people by the fire pit. Rex looked to be having the time of his life and for a moment she was jealous. She couldn't even find a second to relax her body. It was as if she was on overdrive nonstop. It was exhausting and yet Rex was partying away with a bunch of strangers who just a few hours ago were trying to kill them.

Natalie must of fallen asleep right there under that tree cause when she awoke it was nearly pitch black and by the sounds surrounding her, everyone was asleep. She stood slowly and stretched her tired bones as she looked around. Her stomach growled and she glanced at the fire pit that was out now but she could see a hot dog or two on a tray and after a moment she walked over to it and quickly grabbed them. The first bite felt like heaven as she savored the taste.

"You should of just ate earlier" a voice in the darkness startled her, nearly making her drop her food as she spun around to see John sitting in a chair with a large shot gun in his lap.

"thats my brothers gun" she began angrily as she looked at him through the light of the moon.."and I want my knife back" she added..

"First off it wasn't your knife to begin with" he said as he leaned up more now in the chair..."Your just a common thief aren't you?"

"excuse me, listen I found that knife fair and square" she said defensively.."i didn't steal it"

"That maybe so but you acquired it off of a dead man" he stared blankly at her..

"what? no..i told you I found it in an alley" she began once more. This man was really starting to get on her nerves..."now give it back" she stood as tall as she could but she was only 5'3 so it wasn't much.

"No" he said simply as he sat back in the chair..

"fine, you know what, whatever I will get another one" she spun from him. She was too tired and too sore to fight right now.

"how long have you been on the street" he asked as she stopped a few feet away..

"Long enough to know an asshole when I see one" she said and then she marched back over to her tree and sat under it as she ate up the other hot dog. She would have to talk to Rex tomorrow. They would have to find somewhere else to stay because she couldn't see herself staying around that arrogant man another day.

The sound of a howl woke her abruptly from sleep as her eyes shot open and a gasp left her mouth as she stared into the huge eyes of a hungry gigantic wolf. It was literally just a foot away and she could feel its breath on her face but before it could jump at her a gunshot went off and it yelped as it backed up and spun around. Natalie scrambled to her feet as John aimed the gun again..

"Get out of the way!" he yelled at her as she dove to the right and another gunshot went off as people around her scrambled about. Chaos erupted quick as she quickly got herself up only to see three more wolves standing around them. She had never seen anything like this in her life, she had seen demons and shape shifting things but huge wolves, never!

Gunfire went off like crazy as she dodged bullets and ran to find Rex. It only took her a few seconds to see him as she darted for him but one of the large wolves crashed into her. Sending her crashing hard into the ground as she yelled out..

"Natalie!" she could hear Rex yell out as the monstrous wolf pinned her down and then a gun shot went off, then another as the dog slumped lifelessly onto her as blood soaked her clothes.

She could make out two men, one of which was her brother running over to her as she tried to remove the large body off of her but it was futile. The damn thing was too heavy but then she felt it move and she felt a hand grab at her, pulling her from under..

"Lets go, lets go, lets go!" John yelled out to all those around him as Rex grabbed Natalie's arm and they all took off running.

The sun wasn't even up yet as they all ran through the nearly pitch black forest. Branches and other debris hitting their faces and arms as they ran. Gunshots could still be heard and a faint scream was heard in the distance. It was the sound of death but they kept running.

The sight of a road up ahead had them running faster as they hit gravel and Natalie nearly fell as they all piled out onto the street. A pickup truck sat with the engine running and a man laid lifeless on the ground..

Shouting continued as they all piled inside the back of the truck, packing them tight like sardines as they got inside. And then before they knew it the truck was hauling ass down the road as the sight of a lone wolf could be seen standing a few hundred feet behind them in the road. It let out a strangled howl and then disappeared back into the woods as Natalie looked at Rex who looked just as white faced as she felt.

They drove for miles with no one saying a word. Some were injured, some weren't even in the back of the truck and some just stared aimlessly as the wind whipped through their hair. It was too loud to even hear anyone talk, though not a lot of talking was done more like groaning in pain.

The sun began to rise slowly as the truck kept moving and it was apparent that many were injured and some even crying at the loss of a friend. Natalie just kept staring at Rex, grateful that they had made it out of there alive.

They pulled down a dirt road and kept on speeding away until the sight of a large abandoned building could be seen. It looked like an old factory that probably was booming back in the day but now it resembled a ghost town. As the truck stopped everyone began piling out. Some hugging each other, others sobbing and some still in shock.

It wasn't until Natalie tried to get out of the truck that the pain in her arm nearly sent her through the roof as she winced and Rex's eyes got wide as he looked at the large gash in her bicep.. She too glanced at it and sucked in a deep breath..

"we need help, we need help over here" Rex yelled out as he helped her get out of the truck and Michael ran over to her assessing the damage..

"I'm fine" Natalie lied even as she felt her world beginning to spin from the blood loss..

"John!" Michael yelled out as he too came running over.."i need you to set me up a med room" he continued as John looked at Natalie..

"I'm fine.. its just a scratch" Natalie said as she stumbled forward and John caught her in mid fall as she passed out..

"Is your sister always this damn stubborn!" John snapped at Rex as he picked up the limp body of Natalie..

"come on we have to hurry, she is bleeding out" Michael yelled as he began to limp his way over to the large double doors as John ran with her and Rex followed quickly behind him..

"Please please don't let her die" Rex yelled out as he followed them..

Natalie awoke to her head pounding and the sound of voices in the distance not to mention a bright light in her face. She squinted her eyes as she tried to move but the pain was more than she could bear..

"Hey now don't move" she heard Rex say as she opened her eyes some and his face came into focus.."you had me scared there for a bit" he said with a soft smile as he brushed her red hair from her face..

"what, um" she tried to speak but her throat was so dry she could barely make any words out as she tried to move again..

"shhh, here have some water" Rex held a bottle of water to her lips and she took a small sip and then another as she coughed some..

Her eyes darted to the side and she saw the saline bag hanging there and then she looked down at her bandaged arm and the IV in her hand.

"we almost lost you Nat, several times" Rex shook his head, the emotion apparent in his voice.."if it hadn't been for Michael and John" his voice trailed..

Natalie had a hard time letting his words sink in. They had saved her, they had saved a stranger and why? She had all but thought that people didn't go out of their anymore to help one another, at least that was the experience she had seen over the years but they had saved her. She was at a loss for words..

"I bet your hungry, I cant get you something to eat" Rex said as he stood now but she reached out and took his hand in hers and squeezed it lightly, just enough to get the point across as she winced some and then let go of his hand.."i know, I love you too sis" Rex smiled and then walked off as she tried to sit up some.

She still had no idea where they were and by the looks of it, they were in some sort of redone factory. It was one huge room that had cots on the floor. The windows were all boarded up, the only light was from the few hanging bulbs..

As her eyes drifted through the room they stopped when she saw John. He was sitting across the room with her knife in his hand, he was sharpening it or cleaning it, she couldn't tell but he was looking right at her and she quickly looked away. She moved some more on the bed..

"don't try and move too much" Michael said as he came over.."You need to get your strength back, let me take a look at your arm" he said as he began taking the bandage off it and she was surprised to see it completely stitched up.."Looks nice, not infected"

"You did that" she said with a hoarse voice as he smiled some at her..

"some of us actually had lives before" he grinned.."Doctor Michael McBain at your service"

"a doctor" she said in shock, she hadn't seen that one coming..

"we all have our reasons for being out here Natalie" he nodded his head.."John helped too, I gotta say you have a lot of fight in you even when your unconscious"

Natalie turned her eyes from him, suddenly embarrassed about her behavior.."thank you" she said quietly..

"No problem, we take care of our own here" he put the bandage back on her arm as Rex came over.."now eat something ok, you've been out for days and you need your strength"

"Days? How many?" she said in shock as she looked at Rex and then Michael..

"about four" Michael smiled some and then walked across the room and over to his brother..

"here, eat" Rex said to Natalie as he placed a plate of food on her stomach.

Michael made his way over to John as he shined the knife in his lap.."she's awake I see" he said nonchalantly.

"she wouldn't of been here without your help John" Michael said honestly as he looked at Natalie and then back at John..He didn't say a word as he looked back at his knife.."im gonna do my rounds" Michael finished as he walked away and John looked back at Natalie as she sat up in the bed now eating some food. Her eyes met his for a split second and he quickly looked down back at his knife..

"I never saw anyone fight while unconscious but hell Nat, you were absolutely rabid" Rex smirked some..

"what can I say im always on guard" she said with a shake of her head..

"i told you they were good guys Nat, now do you believe me?" Rex said with a smile as he looked at her..She didn't answer as Gigi came over..

"How you feeling?" Gigi asked as she looked at Natalie with a soft smile..

"sore but alive" she answered quickly..

"and were all grateful for that" Gigi took Rex's hand in hers and Natalie was surprised to see how quickly their relationship had gone in just a few days time. They were clearly in love and to be honest it made her a bit uncomfortable.

"did you lose a lot of people?" Natalie finally asked softly, she could still hear the mangled screams in her head..

Gigi cast her eyes down.."Paul and Marlena, they were good people" she said solemnly..

"I'm sorry for your loss" Natalie said quietly as she stared down at the food..

"well you need to eat, get your strength up, were leaving in a few days. Heading up north, we have more people there" Gigi said quietly..

"More?" Natalie said with surprise..

"there's a lot of us Natalie and were all family, that means you too" she smiled softly..

John sat staring at his knife as he rubbed the cloth over it again and again.."you know there is such a thing as cleaning it too much" a tall man with long dark hair said as he came over. He was nearly six and a half feet tall and he towered over John.."she's a cute girl, a little rough around the edges but still" he smirked..

"I didn't notice" John said dryly as his tall friend smirked..

"oh really, now I definitely know you got the hots for her" he laughed..

"don't you have something better to do Steele, like get us ready for the trip" John quickly changed the subject..

"OK ok, no talk about the hot young red head with whom you have feelings for" Steele smirked as he walked off and John rolled his eyes and then quickly shot a glance at Natalie and then shook his head. He didn't have the hots for anyone. In this world there wasn't time for that. There was only time to prepare for what was to come and he needed to be ready and focused.

Natalie finished as much food as she could. She already felt better, still a bit weak but overall she felt stronger. The one thing she did feel was dirty as she laid there, she couldn't remember the last time she had a shower and she wasn't even sure if they had running water there but she was gonna find out. She moved her legs slowly off the bed and steadied herself as she began to stand up and stretch her weak limbs but it was almost too much as she wobbled some..

"are you just asking to hurt yourself some more" she heard Johns sarcastic voice as he came over to her and grabbed her arm in the nick of time. He looked annoyed as he shook his head..

"I cant lay in that bed anymore" she said faintly, she wanted to be more sarcastic but it fell short. It wasn't until that very moment that she honestly got a good look at him. He was a large man with shoulder length dark hair that was pulled back into a pony tail. His eyes were like blue crystals and he was dressed in all black. He was attractive and rugged. It looked like he had been in this life for quite sometime, maybe even longer then her.

"yeah well you cant very well walk around with that thing attached to your arm" he huffed as he grabbed her arm and quickly pulled the IV out as she winced. A second later he was wrapping tape around it as she watched..

"thank you for" she began as he looked at her..

"you have no idea how to fight, your going to be the weak link" he snapped at her..

"i can fight" she began quickly as he let go of her arm and she nearly buckled forward but he grabbed her arm again.."I'm just not at my full strength just yet" she added a bit out of breath..

"I'm not a babysitter you know, you have to toughen up, take care of yourself" he said quickly and she just didn't get him. He was so angry, though she was angry a lot as well but still..

"I don't need a babysitter" she yanked her arm back and slowly walked away from him as he exhaled deep..She walked up to the first person she could see, it was the guy from the other day, Cris was his name..

"Hey you, your up and around" he smiled as he walked over to her..

"I need a bathroom, perhaps a shower" she said quietly, she hated having to rely on others for help but at the moment she had no other choice..

"sure, I'll show ya" he smiled as he began to lead her across the room..

"Cris, right?" she said as they walked and he nodded his head.."I'm Natalie"

He smiled big now.."yes you are, come this way"

John watched as Cris walked her towards the bathroom.."She's a fighter that one" Michael said as he walked over to his brother and John looked at him..

"More like a pain in my ass" John said as he walked past Michael but not before placing the knife on the bed as Michael watched.. He couldn't help but smirk, his brother may just be smitten with that girl.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks you guys, i don't know how long my inspiration will be going but at least it will be a fun ride :)

Chapter Three

Natalie felt so much better after her shower. Her weak muscles began to strengthen and her legs weren't so wobbly She hadn't realized until now how many people were actually there, had to be twenty of them of all different ages, races and backgrounds. She still felt like the odd one out though as she moved slowly around the large room. Everyone was packing now and she was actually a bit worried about what was up north..

She moved over to her bed and saw the knife laying there as she picked it up and looked at it. She looked around for John but couldn't find him.

"you look a hundred times better" Rex grinned as he came over..

"almost as good as new" she said quietly as she tucked the knife into her boot.."do you really think we should go with them" she finally added as Rex looked at her a bit shocked..

"You still don't trust them?" he said with a bewildered look.."they saved your life Nat, you almost died not once but twice" he said honestly as she swallowed hard..

"its just" she began as Rex cut her off..

"its just nothing, I'm staying, were staying" Rex said adamantly. "they could of let you die but they didn't"

Natalie didn't know what to say as she stood there. She wasn't use to anyone doing anything for her unless they expected to gain something from it. She looked back at her bandaged arm..

"I get the whole stubborn thing Nat, I do but they are good guys" Rex added as Gigi came walking over..

"glad to see your up and about Natalie" Gigi smiled wide.."i cant wait to get out of here and go home"

"home?" Natalie said a bit confused..

"well you know, not really home but its become my home, you'll like it there" Gigi smiled.."I'll tell you all about it on the drive there"

Rex looked at Natalie half convinced she was going to say that she wasn't going with them but much to his surprise she forced a small smile.."i would like that very much" she said as Rex relaxed some and smiled at her as Gigi took his hand..

Outside of the large factory awaited two large delivery trucks. She was sure they had been stolen just like the pick up truck but she didn't question it as they all began to pile into the back of the trucks. From what she had overheard it was going to be a few hours drive and she was beyond nervous to see what lay ahead.

Gigi kept her word and as soon as they began to drive off she began her long story of where they were going and who was there. It would seem like the big man in charge was a man by the name of Bo. He had become a father figure to them all and he seemed like a respectable man. Gigi had been with him for nearly ten years and that was saying something especially since she looked to be Rex's age of 21.

"the government funds a lot of it" Gigi continued much to Natalie's surprise. She always wondered if the government had any idea of what went bump in the night especially since when she was younger the cops blew off her story of the blood sucking beast that killed her mother.

"how come they don't warn the public" Natalie asked as she looked at Gigi..

"Could you Imagine the chaos if the public knew what was going on out there, it would be anarchy" Gigi said quickly.."people aren't ready to know what is out there, its safer this way"

"but wouldn't it be safer if people were prepared and armed" Natalie began..

"this is bigger then all of us Natalie, Imagine the paranoia if people knew, hell we'd be killing out neighbors out of suspicion, this is much safer, trust me" Gigi smiled.."think of it this way, were like the cops but instead of going after murderers and rapist we are hunting the real dangers like werewolves, demons and vampires"

"its a lot to ingest Nat, I know I was a bit shocked when I heard" Rex added quickly..

"thats an understatement" Natalie said quietly.. She was already aware of the monsters lurking at night, she just didn't ever think of how many there were out there and she never Imagined that there were people trained to make the streets safe from them.

"there not all bad though, you gotta weed out the bad ones" Gigi continued..

"not all bad?" Natalie said in shock..She couldn't Imagine there being a 'good' monster out there, it was unfathomable..

"you'll see when we get there, the good ones help us even live among us" Gigi added..

"so your telling me that you work with them?" Natalie asked in shock..

"some...yes" Gigi nodded her head..Natalie leaned her head back in the truck as she tried to soak it all in.."trust me it will make sense, just like people there are good ones and bad ones, we just happen to have the good ones on our side" she smiled..

"thats not very comforting" Natalie said honestly..

They stopped twice to stretch out and get drinks. It was a long, tiring trip. Natalie had fallen asleep a few times though the talking kept her up. She thought about the knife tucked away in her boot. Why had he given it back to her?

The trip was about six hours total by the time they pulled into the large compound which she saw was completely surrounded by iron gates. It looked like something out of a movie. She couldn't believe that something like this had stayed hidden for so long. As she looked around she Immediately saw a pudgy gray haired man step out of the building. He seemed to be congratulating them as he made his rounds.

"thats Bo, thats the guy in charge" Gigi said with a smile as Bo came walking over. He looked like an FBI agent the way he was dressed in a dark suit and tie but the worry lines on his face said his job was much harder then just that. Natalie actually felt nervous meeting him."Bo, great to see you" Gigi said as she hugged him and he smiled as he pulled back and looked over at Rex and Natalie..

"I see we have newcomers" Bo smiled softly. He had the kind of smile that instantly made you feel at home.

"this is Rex and Natalie, we met them on the road" Gigi smiled..

"well very nice to meet you both, I hope you find the accommodations nice" he began..

"thank you for letting us join you Sir" Rex said with a handshake as Natalie stood there awkwardly.

"your very welcome son" Bo grinned and then looked at Natalie."now you look like a spit fire"

"thank you sir for having us" Natalie said quickly..

"well we should all get inside, there is a lot to do" Bo said as he walked back inside and Gigi looked at Natalie.

"see I told you, he is great" Gigi grinned as they all headed inside.

The place was massive and truly set up like a government building with metal detectors and guards at all corners. They made their way through, placing weapons on a table but Natalie held onto her knife.

"make sure and keep it concealed if your going to keep it on your person" one of the guards told her as she made it through the metal detector. She was in awe with the huge cathedral ceilings and pricey furniture laid about..

"come on I will show you both to the bedrooms upstairs" Gigi said with excitement..

"this place has bedrooms?" Natalie couldn't help but be in shock.. What the hell was this place..

"Of course silly, where do you think we sleep" Gigi laugh as she walked over to some stairs.. Natalie's eyes couldn't help but dart over to John who seemed to be in deep conversation with a tall slender woman who had her hand on his arm. It seemed intimate and Natalie couldn't help but wonder who that woman was and what she meant to him."Natalie you coming" Gigi called out and just at that second John looked over at her and she felt a flush of embarrassment wash over her for the way she was looking at him Seriously, the guy was a grade A jerk, he may of helped save her life but still a jerk no less. She quickly headed up the large staircase as Gigi began the tour of the compound.

"there are twenty bedrooms in total, 3 bunk beds in each room so they hold six people and there are ten bathrooms. I always try to get in there early before the morning rush" Gigi continued as Natalie walked in awe. The upstairs was laid out almost like a hotel with numerous rooms and doors. Paintings were on the walls and it was really Immaculate."oh and we have a full gym, an Olympic size swimming pool and a sauna" Gigi grinned..

"this place is like a damn mansion" Rex grinned.."the government pays for this?" he said in shock..

"yep, plus we have a large kitchen and cafeteria" Gigi smiled..

"thats insane, Nat are you hearing all of this" Rex said with awe..

"yeah a bit too good to be true" Natalie said cautiously..

"you wont feel that way when your swimming in the pool" Gigi smirked.."we have training right after breakfast" she continued..

"training?" Natalie asked with confusion..

"you don't think we all became the way we are from just street fighting, did you?" Gigi smirked.."you have to learn to use your skills right, it'll be fun plus you get to let out a lot of anger instead of holding it inside" she added..

"well then Nat really needs to go to those classes" Rex smirk as Natalie rolled her eyes at him.

"and this will be your room" Gigi stopped at a door and opened it as Natalie peered inside. It was a nice size room with three bunk beds and a bunch of dressers. It was empty at the moment and she was actually a bit nervous to meet her new roommates. She didn't always get along with people, hell she barely liked people to begin with."why don't you get settled, you will find some comfy clothes in the dresser to the left, we can meet you downstairs for dinner" Gigi said as she walked off with Rex and Natalie stepped into the room more and looked around.

She moved to the window and looked out. A huge pasture at least a football field length was all green cut grass, a view to die for really. The sound of voices made her turn as she walked by the door and then stopped when she noticed whose voice it was, it was Johns.

"I'm just saying this place is packed enough as it is and to bring newbies" a womans voice was heard as well..

"you know Bo is always saying that we could use all the men we can get our hands on" John said dryly as Natalie kept leaning against the wall listening..

"apparently that goes for women too" the woman said sarcastically..

"don't start Vange, its been a long couple days" John said with annoyance..

"well then your lucky that I have just the thing to help you wind down" Vange said with a smile and then it got quiet, real quiet and Natalie couldn't help herself as she peered through the doorway only to see their lips locked in a heated kiss. Just as she was about to back up from the scene before her John opened his eyes and looked right at her and now she quickly jumped out of sight as her heart raced.."Mmmm now that is more like it, come on let me help you get settled" Vange said as they walked down the hallway and Natalie stayed pressed against the wall. Apparently they were an item, for some reason that thought made her feel sick to her stomach. She quickly shook her head and took a deep breath. She wasn't here for that anyway plus he was a jerk, albeit hot but a jerk no less..

The sound of female voices coming down the hall and laughing made her suddenly feel nervous as she moved into the middle of the room not knowing what to do or where to go but then three girls walked into the room laughing and carrying on a conversation. They Immediately stopped when they saw her standing there..

"I um, I was told this was my room" Natalie said quickly as they looked at her. A short overly cheerful brown haired girl spoke first..

"Oh your the new girl, Natalie right?" the girl approached her.."I'm Marcy and this is Ariana and Kelly" the girl said with a wide smile, she seemed overly bubbly. Just the kind of girl that Natalie couldn't stand..

"Hi" Natalie said with a quick wave to them..

"this is going to be great, its like one big sleepover every night" Marcy said with a huge grin and before Natalie knew it the girl was hugging her, like really hugging her as the other two giggled a little...

"geez Marce lets not scare her off yet" Ariana the short brunette said with a laugh..

"Yeah Marce she'll think this is some sort of cult or something" Kelly the tall blond said with a grin as Marcy pulled back and Natalie looked at them with wide eyes.."I'm kidding its not a cult" Kelly added with a smirk..

"now that is exactly what a cult person would say and you say that I will scare her" Marcy shook her head some.."seriously this isn't a cult, I swear" she smiled at Natalie who smiled back nervously. This was getting weirder and weirder by the second..

"so is that cute boy that came with you your brother?" Ariana said with a smile..

"Oh stop it Ariana, your such a skank" Kelly laughed and then both girls laughed..

"don't mind them Natalie they never know how to act around newbies" Marcy said seriously..

"speak for yourself I was super nice to Brody when he got here" Ariana said as she played with her hair..

"Um you slept with him" Kelly rolled her eyes..

"and I was very nice" Ariana grinned.."so tell me, is he single" she smiled big at Natalie..

"Like that ever stopped you before" Marcy said under her breath..

"you know what why don't we start over" Kelly said with a smile.."so Natalie what brings you here" she said as the girls got quiet and they all looked at her as if they were waiting for some big explanation..

"wolves and night walkers" Natalie said nervously as she shook her head..

"God I hate those things" Ariana walked across the room.."but the wolves can be damn sexy if you know what I mean"

"eww tmi" Marcy said sarcastically..

"sorry miss Marcy here is saving herself for the right guy" Ariana rolled her eyes..

"You know its not a bad thing, I have morals" Marcy defended herself..

"yeah well the world is going to shit so better get your groove on soon girl, plus the longer you wait, well you know what they say and Michael wont be single forever" Ariana smirked..

"what? I don't have the hots for him, I told you we are just friends" Marcy said quickly as her face flushed..

"she is secretly in love with him" Kelly said to Natalie..

"am not..god Natalie don't listen to these two" Marcy said with a red face.."were just friends, thats all"

"Yeah only because you haven't made a move yet, how many years has it been?" Ariana walked over to the window and looked outside.."Oh check it out, speaking of sexy wolves" she said as the girls ran to the window and Natalie slowly walked over as they stared at the same tall long haired man she had seen at the campground and then again at the warehouse.."god what I wouldn't do for a piece of that"

"you know they don't just go around and mate anyone Ariana" Kelly said quickly..

"he's a wolf?" Natalie said in shock..

"yep 100% pure grade A American werewolf" Ariana grinned..

"and so out of your league" Kelly laughed towards Ariana.

"hey I'm still working out the kinks ok" Ariana rolled her eyes and Natalie just stared in shock at the guy, she would of never in a million years thought he was a werewolf.."so have you seen anyone that tickles your fancy yet" she asked as she looked at Natalie.

"Oh I'm not um" Natalie began quickly as she walked away from the window..

"don't freak her out you guys, she just got here" Marcy said as she walked over to Natalie.."and I mean your sexual orientation is your own business, we don't judge here"

Natalie was a bit shocked by Marcy's words.."I'm not... gay" she said quickly..

The girls got quiet as they looked at her.."well its totally cool if you are, at least then I know I don't have competition" Ariana grinned..

Before Natalie could answer a voice was heard on the loud speaker. It was calling everyone down to the dining hall. The girls began to go out the door as Natalie stood there..

"come on Natalie its dinner time, plus this is when we all get our duties for the week" Marcy grinned..

"duties, what duties?" Natalie said quickly..

"You know like orders, going out on hunts and what not" Marcy began..."its just something Bo does, it keeps us all in line"

"Oh" Natalie said quickly..

"come on it'll be fun" Marcy said as she waved for Natalie to go and she did just that even though she was nervous as hell and wondering if they had made the right decision to stay there.

The dining hall was enormous as they entered it. There were at least ten long tables and about fifty people in there. She hadn't expected it to be so crowded. Finally her nerves began to get the best of her as she looked around the place. Some people looking at her and whispering while other just sat and ate..

"oh there's the hottie" Ariana said with a smile as she flipped her long hair back and forth as she looked at Rex who was eating with Gigi at his side..

"Yeah well it looks like Gigi got to him first" Kelly smirked..

"Oh please" Ariana rolled her eyes..

"seriously ladies thats Natalie's brother and by the looks of it he is happy" Marcy added just as Rex looked up and waved at Natalie to come over..

"I'm gonna just umm" Natalie began quickly and then she stopped as she began walking over to Rex.

Natalie tried not to make eye contact with anyone as she walked over to her brother but one person did catch her eye, it was John. He sat at the far end of the table, he looked in deep conversation with the tall long haired man, the one the girls said was a wolf but he looked up at her as she walked and she quickly looked away..

"she looks thrilled to be here" Steele said to John who looked at his friend now..

"she wont make it a night, she'll take off" John said as he looked down at his plate of food and then took a bit of chicken..

"you seem pretty confident about that but I saw the way she looked at you" Steele smirked as he sipped his beer..

"trust me she cant stand me and the feeling is mutual" John said dryly but not before he looked at her one more time.

"Uh huh.. sure John... I totally see the hate" Steele said sarcastically..

"Nat you gotta try this food, I mean what have we been missing, this is amazing" Rex said with a mouthful of food..

Natalie looked down at her own plateful of food that had been placed there just seconds ago. She had to admit, it looked wonderful and she was absolutely starving. She slowly took a bite of food..

"Charles is the chef and he does a great job" Gigi smiled as she ate too..

Gigi wasn't kidding either, the food was top notch. Like something you would find in a five star restaurant. It was hard to believe that the government paid for this. Before Natalie could say anything a loud clinking of a glass was heard as Bo, the older man who ran the place stood over by John with a glass in his hand and everyone got quiet as Natalie looked up..

"First off I want to say that everyone did a fantastic job these last few weeks" Bo began.."its never easy to do what we do but you all make me proud every day" he smiled softly.."I see a few missing seats tonight and it saddens my heart to know we lost some great people. People we consider sisters and brothers but remember they did not die in vain, none of us ever do" Bo said as he held his glass high.."this is for Paul and Marlena may they continue fighting the great fight even if it is up above" he finished as everyone let out a collective "hear hear" and drank a glass of wine. Natalie watched everyone including her brother and then she too drank some of her wine..."But before we get into anything further I want us all to give our newcomers a warm welcome" he said as he looked at Natalie and Rex.."Natalie, Rex..your one of the family now" he said as everyone quickly drank once more.."now onto business, we got a lot of things to discuss and not much time to do it" Bo said as the room got quiet and Natalie swallowed hard. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this nervous and she really didn't know why.

Bo began his speech by talking about different entail he had received from various parts of the world. Natalie was absolutely amazed that there were so many people out there battling this evil in the world. She would of never guessed in a million years that there were so many people out there. As much as it was exciting to hear it was also concerning as well. The fact that this many people put their lives in danger daily was a crazy thought not to mention they worked with some of the monsters albeit the good ones but still.

Natalie had spent the majority of her young life killing those monsters and she never once wondered if they were good or not. To her they were all bad and she knew she would have an issue dealing with this new situation. She looked at the large wolf man and just the size of him was alarming, she thought back to just a few days earlier when they were attacked by wolves, had he known them? Were they somehow related. She got caught off guard by seeing John look at her and she Immediately looked down. Why was she so affected by him? She hadn't let anyone affect her in so many years. There was a guy, many many years ago. It was right after her and Rex had gotten on the road but he turned out to be a user and nearly had Rex killed. Natalie had nearly killed him if he hadn't taken off in the middle of the night with all the money they had saved up. His name was Bryan and she always told herself that if she ran into him down the road that she would put a knife right in his heart.

"and so tomorrow we're back to training" Bo began as he snapped her from her thoughts as she looked up. She had missed just about everything he had said..."but for tonight everyone relax and enjoy you all deserve it" he said with a smile and then he quickly walked around the table as people came up to him.

"he is awesome" Rex said with a grin.."i cant wait for tomorrow"

"tomorrow?" Natalie asked quickly as he shook his head..

"the real training begins, weren't you listening" he said as he continued to eat..

"You will really like it Natalie, its fun" Gigi said with a soft smile..

"How do I get on one of those hunts" Natalie asked, she couldn't see herself just sitting there every day..

"well first you need to let your injuries heal and then in time" Gigi smiled..

"i feel fine, I'm ready now" Natalie said seriously..

"slow down robo cop, we gotta train first" Rex said sarcastically..

"Rex we lived on the streets for ten years I'm sure I can handle myself" Natalie said as she stood up now but when she turned Bo was standing there..

"Just the woman I wanted to see" Bo smiled at her.."could you meet me in my office, I'm interested in hearing about your journey thus far, how about in one hour" he finished and then looked at her barely touched plate.."you know you should really eat, it helps to get your strength up" he smiled as he walked away and Natalie stood there, suddenly feeling scorned like a child..

"ohhhh you got busted" Rex laughed a little as she narrowed her eyes at him and then quickly pushed her chair in.."You heard Bo you gotta eat" Rex continued as Natalie turned from him.

"I'm fine Rex" she said a bit angrily as she walked past the large tables. She couldn't wait to have this talk with Bo because she was ready to go out there and she wasn't use to someone telling her what to do. Her mind got lost in thought as she walked and just like that she bumped into someone..

"sorry" she heard a very familiar voice say as she spun around and her eyes got wide and so did the blue pair looking back at her.."Natalie?" Bryan said with shock in his voice and she didn't wait for him to say anything else as her fist landed sharply on his chin and he fell backwards.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The instant her fist hit his chin, he fell back. He had a look of surprise and shock on his face but she wasn't even done with him yet as she lunged forward. She was going to give him years worth of a beating but as soon as she sprinted she felt arms around her as she was held back and the once relatively quiet lunch room broke out in chaos as she fought against her restrainer..

"let go of me!" she yelled out as she kicked and tried to move her arms but it was useless, whoever had her, had her in a vice grip..

"your crazy you know that!" Bryan yelled out as he wiped the blood from his mouth..

Rex had a horrified look on his face as Natalie locked eyes with him and then she fought some more against the person holding her..

"thats enough!" a loud voice yelled in her ear and it was at that moment that she realized that it wasn't just any person holding her, it was John.."i will take you to the ground if you push me" he barked at her..

Bo was there in a flash as he broke through the chaotic crowd.."what the hell is going on here" he said as he looked at Natalie and then at Bryan..

"she hit me, she just came up and hit me" Bryan said still in shock..

"Let me go" Natalie yelled angrily at John but he didn't budge..

"My office Now young lady" Bo snapped at her..

"I'm on it Bo" John said as he forced them to turn around as he kept his arms locked around her. She was so mad that she literally saw stars..

"I can walk on my own!" she continued to fight him, embarrassment now washing over her as everyone stared at her and whispered..

"this wont end well if you go crazy again" John warned her as he promptly let go of her arms and she yanked herself away from him, she didn't even look at him as she stormed out of the lunch room and into the hall.."what the hell were you thinking back there" John demanded an answer from her..

She spun to face him."the next time you lay your hands on me you will be sorry" she warned and then stormed down the hall and towards Bo's office even though right at this moment she wanted to get the hell out of this complex and far away from everyone..

Natalie found the office with little trouble and she was boiling hot as she paced the large room. She couldn't believe Bryan was there and she couldn't believe that John had restrained her like that and in front of everyone!

"there is enough violence in the world then to bring it here" Bo said as she spun and faced him, she went to talk but he cut her off as he shut the door.."i will not tolerate that behavior here" he walked up to her now and he looked pissed.."Now do you want to tell me what would possess you to just walk up to someone and hit them" he asked angrily..

Natalie couldn't help but roll her eyes as she stood there.."he had it coming" was all she said..

"Ive known Bryan for five years, he is a good man" Bo continued..

"yeah well then your a fool" Natalie snapped and then she stormed past him.

"How long have you known him" his question shocked her and it wasn't just because he was asking but it was how his voice sounded. It was almost as if he knew already.

She turned and faced him now.."i wont stay here with him, I wont" she said angrily..

"Natalie have a seat" he finally said, his voice lower now but she just stood there as he walked over to his desk and sat down. She crossed her arms over her chest.."do you just want to leave, is that it?" he asked as she looked at him."you just want to take the world on by yourself, is that it?" he raised an eyebrow..

"he stole from me, he almost got my brother killed" she finally yelled out..

"well now were getting somewhere, please Natalie have a seat" he gestured towards the chair, his voice calm and even.

"do you even know any of these people you have under this roof? Hell for all you know they could be worse then what is out there" she snapped as she stood there..

"let me tell you a story, one you may relate to" he began as she huffed loudly.."there once was a girl about thirteen, she witnessed something horrible, something so horrible that it changed the way she looked at the world and yet no one believed her" he began as she began to look at him in shock.."she was just a child when she was thrown into a bad and tough world, the kind of world that no child should have to live in" he stared at her now..."you've been doing this for a long time Natalie, you have been through a lot, everyone here has and everyone has lost someone due to evil"

"how do you" she began in shock as she looked at him, she was literally speechless now..

"How do I know about you?" he said as he laid his hands on the table, his eyes never leaving hers.."i know about everyone who steps through these doors"

"then you know I don't belong here" she said honestly..

"actually I believe that you belong here the most, maybe more then some" he said seriously as he glanced at the chair again but this time she walked over to it and sat down in a huff.."motivation is what gets the job done Natalie, whether its seeking vengeance or trying to better ones life but sometimes its better to be the bigger person, to let bygones be bygones"

"he took everything I had, he used me, he used Rex and now he is living here" she said angrily..

"we all have made choices in life we don't like and I'm not as stupid as I look Natalie. We all have our demons, some more than others" he said honestly.."i wont make you stay, I cant but I do promise you this, if you stay you will not regret it"

"i get your offer ok, I do but this isn't me, I'm not like everyone else, I like being on my own" she said quickly..

"and where did that get you Natalie? John told me what happened, you could of died not once but twice in the matter of one day" he said honestly..

"I had things under control, I did" she said defensively..

"there are easier ways to do things, you have a lot of courage and a lot of heart, don't waste it all on being bitter because there is a huge difference between that and trying to make the world a safer place" he leaned back in his chair..

"I just want to stay alive long enough to know Rex will be ok" she said honestly..

"now that is a bunch of bullshit and I don't have time for it, so lets be honest with one another" he began as she went to say something and he cut her off.."i wont let you throw your life away because your stubborn"

"I've been doing this for a long time and I ain't dead yet" she said spitefully..

"but with that attitude you will be, when was the last time you had someone you could count on, someone you could trust?" he asked her..

"i trust no one" she said honestly..

" starting tomorrow your going to be training with John" Bo said as if he wasn't even listening to her..

"what!?" she said in shock.."i just said" she began..

Bo cut her off.."and I just said your training with John, your got a mean right hook I will give that to you but when it comes to defending yourself its a sad sight"

"excuse me" she stood now.."Ive been taking care of myself for years!" she snapped at him.

Bo stood now too.."and you couldn't even budge when John grabbed you" he walked around his desk.."now what if that was something else, someone else, you would be dead before you even knew what happened"

"i was caught off guard" she said defensively again..

"and you think the things out there are going to give you warning?" Bo shook his head.."tomorrow you start your defense training" he said matter of factly..

"i don't take orders from you ok" she spun around and gasped in shock as Bo stood there. She couldn't believe her eyes as she backed up some.."how" she couldn't even finish her sentence..

Bo didn't say anything for a long minute.."tomorrow, five am, be well rested" he said calmly as he opened the door and stood there..

"Your... your one of them aren't you" she said in shock..

"I expect a full report tomorrow" Bo said in response.."get some sleep". She went to say something but he cut her off.."Now Natalie" he said more demanding and she couldn't even find any words as she walked past him and down the hall. She knew she looked shell shocked and that was because she was. Bo was one of them, he was one of those monsters.

Natalie made it past the dining hall and she stopped as she peered inside, it was completely empty..

"still looking for a fight" she heard John say from behind her as she spun around to face him.

"I'm not in the mood for your sarcasm" she snapped at him.

"why'd you do it?" he asked dryly..

"I don't owe you an explanation" she snapped as she spun around and began storming away down the hall, he didn't say anything else and she was glad. She had too much to digest and she honestly felt sick to her stomach..

John ran his hand through his hair as he watched her walk away, she was gonna be a huge pain in his ass he could already tell.

"Hey John can you come here for a sec" Bo called out from the hallway as John turned and looked at him and sighed..

"you know we really need to start doing background checks in here" John said with a shake of his head as he walked over to Bo..

"I've been hearing a lot of that lately but then again where would you be if I did that" Bo smirked.."come inside, we need to talk" he finished as he walked over to his desk and began to pour two glasses of whiskey.."you handled yourself well back there John"

"yeah well I'm sure it wont be the last time, remind me again why we took them in?" John said as he walked over and grabbed a glass from Bo..

"because thats what we do" Bo took a long sip and so did John..

"well you may of just over thought this a tad bit, the girl is a liability" John said as he continued to sip his drink..

"that may be so but that is where you come into play" Bo said as he put his glass down and John just looked at him.

"i hope your not trying to say what I think your trying to say, because I ain't no babysitter" John said as he looked at Bo..

"i never said a babysitter, I would like to call it a mentor" Bo smiled..

"Oh no no no... I'm not" John began but Bo cut him off..

"she's a good fighter, a good ally to have, she is just a bit rusty" Bo smiled some more..

"your joking right? She's a damn loose cannon not to mention she nearly got killed twice already" John began to pace nervously now..

"yeah well that was because she didn't have the right training or trainer" Bo raised an eyebrow..

"Bo Listen"John began as he shook his head..

"i wasn't asking John" Bo said seriously.."you will train her, your the best man for the job"

"I'm not the man for the job Bo, you cant make me do this, I wont do this" John said anxiously as he stared at him.

By the time Natalie had gotten to her room it was already dark and the girls were already sleeping. She didn't know how she would sleep at all. She was livid and anxious, there was no way in hell that she could stay there and no way in hell that she was going to have that cocky son of a bitch teach her the ropes!

She collapsed onto the bed as she stared up at the top bunk. She would have to have a talk with Rex tomorrow because they were leaving, like it or not.

Natalie eventually fell into a restless sleep and was awoken abruptly to the girls talking amongst each other. She was quickly reminded why she didn't like having other people around..

"Hey Nat wake up, you'll be late" Marcy said as she came over and shook Natalie's arm some..

Natalie groaned some and rolled over..

"Not a morning person? I hear ya" Ariana groaned herself.."but Marcy is right, we cant be late"

"i hope I get to have a match today, ive totally been working on my upper cut" Kelly said as she stretched her body on the floor..

"come on Nat, its gonna be fun" Marcy continued as Natalie rolled back over now..

"just go without me ok, I'm not... I'm not feeling well" she lied..

"well I hope your not coming down with something" Marcy said with concern.."I could get Michael"

"No I just... I just need rest " Natalie said as she rolled back over..

"come on girls, if she isn't feeling well then she isn't feeling well" Ariana said quickly as they all walked to the door. Natalie pretended to fall back asleep and she stayed like that until she heard their foot steps head down the hall.

Quickly she jumped out of bed, fully dressed as she pulled her hair back in a pony tail and quickly shoved her knife into her boot. She was getting the hell out of there but she had to get Rex first whether he liked it or not..

The hallway was empty as she looked left and right quick then headed down towards Rex's room. She looked in about every room as she went down the hall, they were all empty but then she heard the sound of voices as she froze in the hall and quickly darted into the first available bedroom. Hiding behind the door, she could hear the voices talking as they neared. She spun around as her heart raced and Immediately noticed that this room wasn't like the others. There weren't bunk beds in here, only one single large bed and dressers. The sound of the voices got closer and she had to think fast and so she ran to the nearby closet and Immediately got inside just in time for the sound of the door opening..

"I'm just saying that if I talk to Bo then we could do this one together" a familiar female voice was heard and Natalie Immediately knew who it was. It was the girl she had seen John talking with the day before. Her name was Vange and she quickly stiffened as realization hit as soon as she heard his voice..This was his room.

"it's not a good idea Vange, you need to just take care of things from here" John said as they entered the room..

"why? We use to hunt together all the time John" Vange said with increasing annoyance and Natalie quickly backed up into the closet some more..

"Vange your a great friend ok" he began with a sigh..

"oh so now were back to the friend thing" she said sarcastically.."why do you always do this John, were good together"

"don't ok" he said quickly as Vange went to touch him."there's a lot of shit going on right now if you haven't noticed" he said quickly..

"theres always shit going on John, thats never changed things before" Vange huffed.."what is it this time, huh? Or maybe I should say who is it"

"Oh lets not start this crap, I need to get ready" he began as Natalie could see their shadows outside the closet and she quickly moved to the left as she hid behind shirts that were hanging..

"I heard that Bo is having you help that half wit" Vange snapped angrily and Natalie tightened her fists by her side. She didn't like this chick not one bit.

"and there you go again, you just cant help yourself can you" John huffed.."i need to get ready"

"You know its people like her that will get us all killed" Vange snapped as her footsteps could be heard heading over to the door..."this conversation is far from over" she snapped as the door was heard opening and closing. Natalie heard John take a deep breath as his shadow was seen walking across the room and then another door opened and closed at the far end of the room. Seconds later she heard the shower turn on.

Natalie quickly pushed the closet door open and ran from the room and into the hall, she Immediately banged right into someone and nearly fell..

"Hey you, what are you doing roaming around" Cris said as she looked up and swallowed hard..

"I um... I was looking for my brother, I uh" she said nervously as Cris looked at her..

"Rex, right? He's down at the gym with everyone else, come on I can show you" he smiled softly at her..

"yeah um... actually" Natalie began to ramble. How the hell was she going to get Rex now. Why did he have to be so damn adamant about fitting in!

"come on, I know it can be nerve wracking for the first day" Cris grinned.."but by the looks of your mean swing yesterday I would say you have it in the bag" he shook his head and laughed some.."between me and you I cant stand the guy, Bryan is always talking shit"

"yeah well, I'm not fond of crowds" Natalie said dryly..

"your in good hands, I promise, come on we'll all be starting soon" Cris smiled and she just gave in. She would have to head to the gym and at least there she could find Rex and talk some damn sense into him. They quickly headed down the hall and to where the group had gathered..

Meanwhile John got out of the shower and came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, his eyes Immediately saw the open closet door and he walked over to it, peering inside. It was empty but a lone piece of red hair caught his attention as he pulled it from his blue shirt and he inspected it quick. Considering that there were only two red heads in this entire establishment, he had a very good idea who had been snooping around in his stuff..


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Natalie kept her eye on all the available exits as Cris walked her to the gymnasium. He was a nice enough guy but she was barely paying attention to his talking as she looked down each hall they passed and each doorway.

Her mind was also on John and how she almost got caught in his closet. The situation was actually a bit laughable and she couldn't help but smirk at not being caught.

"so how often do you train" Cris asked her as she was snapped from her thoughts..

"oh I don't train or anything" she said quickly..

"not even work out? I mean without sounding too upfront, you have a very nice body" he blushed a little as he spoke..

"yeah well I haven't had any time to just sit back and relax ya know, being on the road and such" she said honestly.

"I remember those days, god it sucked" he laughed a little and she smiled nervously.."you know um if you ever wanted to watch a movie or something" he began nervously as her eyes got wide. Was he seriously trying to ask her out? Thankfully they were interrupted as Rex came walking down the hall towards them..

"there you are, I was getting worried that you wouldn't show up" he said as he walked over..

"well its a good thing she ran into me, she was looking for ya Rex" Cris smiled some as Natalie nervously smiled but Rex could tell she was up to something..

"well thank god for small favors, can you give us a moment" Rex said as he took his sister by the arm and pulled her off to the side out of view of prying ears.."what are you doing" he said sternly..

"i was looking for you" she yanked her arm back roughly.."you don't have to talk to me like im a child Rex, might I remind you that im four years older than you" she snapped at him..

"wow by the way you have been acting I wouldn't know" he said as he put his hands on his hips..

"You know Rex your attitude is really getting old" she rolled her eyes..

"are you trying to ruin this for us, huh" he was pissed and she rolled her eyes again as he stepped closer to her.."we have a chance here for a fresh start"

"you mean you have a chance" she said sarcastically..

"You could have a chance too Nat, why are you fighting this, things are good here" he began with a shake of his head..

"Oh yeah and having Bryan here is soooo good for us, right" Natalie snapped at him.."did you forget all the shit he did"

"oh so this is about him, fuck him" Rex snapped.."I'm not gonna let the idea of him being here ruin this for us"

"oh so im just suppose to pretend that he didn't rob us of everything we had" she said angrily..

"Oh please it was like twenty bucks and a gun, your just pissed that he left you not that he took stuff" he rolled his eyes now..

"You really think I care about that little asshole leaving me, seriously Rex" she laughed sarcastically..

"it looks that way, so what he broke your heart" Rex began as her eyes got wide..

"broke my heart, now thats hilarious!" Natalie laughed bitterly..

"I know you cared about him Nat" Rex said seriously but before she could respond,John came walking up to them and she huffed loud as Rex turned to face him..

"You know last time I checked the gym is that way" John said as he eyed the both of them..

"Yeah we were just going there, right Nat" Rex said sternly as he looked at his sister and she rolled her eyes at him..

"Yeah whatever" Natalie walked past him and Rex followed but before Natalie could get to the door, Johns hand came on her arm..

"we'll meet you inside" he said to Rex as Natalie yanked her arm back from him..

"i thought I already told you not to touch me" she snapped at him..

"You know that little attitude isn't going to get you far in here" John said dryly. She couldn't help but notice his physique as he stood there. Apart from the fact that she thought he was a huge asshole, well he did have an amazing form. He stood in a pair of board shorts and a tank top. He was seriously hot! She kept her eyes averted though as she watched Rex walk through the double doors that lead to the gym..

"You know last time I checked I didn't have to answer to you" she finally said defensively..

"You got a lot to learn and maybe you should start with the snooping" he raised an eyebrow as she swallowed hard..

"snooping? I have no idea what your talking about" she kept her face calm as she looked at him now.."Maybe you shouldn't be so paranoid" she went to walk past him again but he stopped her once more.."hey!" she yelled out as he held her upper arm tight..

"not so fast" John said as he leaned up close to her.."next time I find out that your hiding in my closet I may just give you an appropriate show" he smirked and then let go of her arm as she stood there a bit shock..."now get your ass inside, this ain't no daycare center" he said as he stormed past her and into the gym as she stood there and huffed, then she quickly went inside..

The gym was filled with bleachers as people sat and talked. Natalie saw as Marcy waved ridiculously at her and even though she didn't want to be around the bubbly woman right now she didn't want to be around Rex either. She quickly walked over and took a seat..

"glad you got up, you don't want to miss this" Marcy said with a smile as Natalie's eyes followed John as he walked across the gym and into the center of it where a microphone stood.

"Oh great here we go, I wonder if he is going to have some long speech again" Ariana said sarcastically as John walked to the microphone..

"its actually not that bad" Marcy smiled reassuringly..

"Alright everyone settle down" John began as the room got quiet.."as you all know the next coming weeks are going to be taxing, we have a lot of hunts to go on and some may take us out of the compound for a bit" he said as Ariana huffed and looked at Natalie."I know we usually go one on one but for today were gonna amp things up a bit, two on one and lets see how you all do, grab your partners" he said as Natalie looked around at everyone as they all began to get up and walk over to another person..

"Man it sucks being the new kid on the block" Kelly said with a weak smile.."maybe just try and find someone" she said as she walked away..

Natalie didn't know who to go over to, she quickly saw Cris across the way and went to make her way over to him. It would be nice to at least know one person but then she saw him, Bryan as he stood next to another guy laughing and talking..She immediately clenched her fists by her side..

"hold up there a second" John called to her and she huffed.."I already have someone for you" he said as he walked over to her..

"No thanks I think I can find someone myself" she said sarcastically but then she saw him calling Bryan over and her eyes got wide as John smirked..

"Might as well get all that aggression out" he said as Bryan started walking over to him and then he saw Natalie and he moved cautiously..

Natalie couldn't help but smile, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. She did want to beat Bryan's ass and now was as good of a time as any..

"whats up John, I was just getting Brody" Bryan said and then he glanced at Natalie.

"yeah well change of plans" John said as he looked at Natalie and then at Bryan..

"what? No way man" Bryan began as Natalie couldn't help but smile..

"what are you too scared Bryan, you'd rather just hit and run" she said with a smirk, she was feeling better already.."or maybe just run"

"listen this aint a good idea ok" Bryan began to say towards John..

"I wasn't asking alright, now put your big boy pants on and lets go" John said and for the first time since Natalie had met John, she began to wonder if he wasn't so bad after all.

Natalie followed John over to a mat on the ground as Bryan stayed out of reach of her, she was gonna love this, she could already tell..

"ok since Natalie here is new were gonna change things up a bit and show her how the one on one works" John began as he looked at Bryan and then Natalie."take your place" he said towards Bryan who visibly swallowed hard and Natalie stood back with her hands on her hips, a huge smirk on her face.."this isn't like your typical wrestling match or boxing, you give it all you got, there is no such thing as a clean fight" John said towards her and now she swallowed hard.."sixty second intervals" he continued as he got into a fighting stance and so did Bryan. Then within seconds John was charging at him and Bryan didn't even have a chance as John grabbed him and slammed him to the ground hard.

Natalie's eyes were wide at the scene before her and Bryan was coughing up a storm as the wind was knocked out of him.."again!" John yelled out as he got up and Bryan slowly pulled himself up..This time Bryan swung at him but missed but not before John grabbed his arm and spun him around and punched him hard in the gut. Even Natalie had to wince at the sight.."come on Bry, your not even giving me a decent fight" John said as he stood and smiled. Bryan got up quickly this time and charged for john, he landed one punch on his chest but John barely moved as he smiled at him and then within seconds he had him spun around and in a head lock as Bryan cried out to stop, John finally did as Bryan gasped for air.."think you can handle that" John said to Natalie as he pushed his long sweaty hair back from his forehead.. Bryan was attempting to stand again but when he saw he would be fighting Natalie he smiled as he wiped blood from his lip..

"definitely" Natalie said confidently as she stepped onto the mat and got into her stance. Bryan charged at her and she went to land a right hook on his face but he elbowed her in the mouth as she fell forward and tasted blood in her mouth..

"a little rusty Red" Bryan smirked as she wiped her mouth and stood up as she looked at him..

"don't call me Red" she said through gritted teeth as she put her fists up and so did he. He lunged for her now and she threw a kick but he grabbed her leg before it landed and she fell face down as he laughed..

"come on Natalie, get the hell up, show this punk what you got" John yelled as she quickly got to her feet..

"Oh your not gonna cry are ya Red" Bryan smirked at her and she ran at him and quickly faked a right then hit him square in the chest as he was knocked back and gasping..

Natalie smiled confidently but Bryan charged at her and within seconds they were on the ground as she kneed him in the stomach and he punch her in the side of the face. It was one hell of a punch too, she literally saw stars but she kneed him one more time but this time it hit her target as he fell onto his side, grabbing his groin..

"Bitch" Bryan hissed at her as he stayed on his side..

"good now lets switch" John said as Bryan rolled himself off the mat and Natalie looked at John.."and don't hold back" he grinned as he lunged for her but she ducked just in time as she landed a kidney punch but it barely affected him as he spun and knocked her feet out from under her and she fell in a huff as she panted heavily.."come get up, there isn't time to wallow out there, you have to be on your game at all times" John said as he went to help her up but instead he pulled her and quickly spun her around as her back was against his chest and his hand was around her neck.."and you would be dead" he said into her ear and then pushed her off of him.."again!" he yelled out and she was so damn pissed that she ran at him and jumped to kick him square in the face but he grabbed her leg and she twirled in the air before hitting the mat hard.."come on, at least act like your trying!" he yelled as she quickly got to her feet. She charged at him again, fists flying as he dodged every one until she was nearly out of breath and then he kicked her feet out from under her but she grabbed his hair before falling, causing him to fall too.

She landed one good punch to his chin before he pinned her down on the mat. She watched as his fist came flying at her and it literally hit the mat right next to her head hard as she gasped.."you let your guard down too much, it will get you killed out there" he said as he got up and turned from her.

Natalie quickly got to her feet and pulled her knife from her boot as John kept his back to her and she immediately grabbed him from behind and placed the knife at his neck.."You shouldn't let your guard down" she said to him as she quickly stepped back and he spun, an impressed look on his face.

It wasn't until that moment that Natalie saw that everyone in that gym was watching them and then second she stepped back they all began to cheer..

"alright alright alright, everyone get back to it" John said loudly and then he looked at Natalie.."you play dirty"

"yeah and" she said as she shoved the knife back in her boot..

"i like it" he grinned and then looked at Bryan.."lets go". Bryan looked a little more worse for wear as he walked back up on the mat.

The fighting continued as before, kicking, punching and pinning to the mat until Natalie was an absolute sweaty mess not to mention she was absolutely exhausted and bruised..By the time John called it quits Natalie had landed a few good shots onto Bryan but she was more beat up then the both of them, it was unnerving to say the least especially since she thought of herself to be a very good fighter but now she didn't know what to think..

"alright everyone wrap it up" John said as everyone began to leave the gym and Natalie grabbed her towel from the ground as she wiped the blood from her face and began to leave.."Hey hold up" John said as he came over.."You did good back there" he said honestly, she definitely wasn't the best but for a beginner she wasn't half bad.

Natalie looked at the bloodied towel and rolled her eyes.."yeah, sure" she turned from him..

"if you worked more on your defensive skills then it would help" he said as she stopped now..

"Yeah well if I could use my knife or gun" she said sarcastically..

"Your not always going to have those available to you" he said as he walked over to her.."You need to be able to defend yourself first, everything else comes later"

"well I made it this far" she rolled her eyes..

"yeah, surprisingly" he shook his head..

"I just have to get my head back into it ok, you said yourself I did pretty good" she said defensively..

"Yeah but you need to be great not good" he said honestly..

"yeah well right now I just want to take a shower and lay down" she turned from him and within seconds he grabbed her from behind..

"what the!" she yelled in shock as he held onto her tight..

"fight back" he said as he locked his arms around her chest..She kicked her feet as she tried to break free but he barely budged.."come on Natalie, break free!" he yelled into her ear..

"I cant damn it" she yelled back with frustration as she kicked some more..

"your not even trying, now fight me" he taunted her and she was so pissed as she continued to kick and then without a second thought she leaned her head down and bit onto his arm hard until she tasted blood, he immediately let go of her as she spun around and kicked his feet from under him in a rage as she pulled her knife and then held it to his throat. He looked absolutely stunned and that was because he was as she pinned him down with her body and she panted heavily as she held the held the knife there.."now your thinking outside of the box" he said with a smirk as she quickly got off of him..

He too got up and looked at the bite mark in his arm.."don't worry I had my rabies shot" she said sarcastically as she tossed a towel at him..

"see now thats where you gotta fight from, not from your mind but from your heart, its the only way your gonna take anyone down" he said honestly.."come on I wanna show you something" he said as he began to walk across the gym. She wanted to protest because she was exhausted now but she kept her mouth shut as he opened a door that lead to a weight room.."Lets see your kicking range" he said as he walked over to a kick boxing bag and she huffed..

"Right now?" she said with a huff..

"No one said training was gonna be fun, lets see what you got" he said as he walked behind the bag and held onto it.. She sighed as she walked over to it and kicked it weakly.."Seriously? My grandma can kick better then that... Again"

"im tired" she huffed..

"do you think those things out there are gonna care if your tired or not, you need to get stamina otherwise your first mile run is gonna wear you out,..now kick" he said loud as she huffed and kicked it but with a little more force.."would it be easier if I put Bryan's face on it" he raised an eyebrow and she kicked it a bit harder now.."i mean im sure Bryan wouldn't mind having another go at you" he smiled and she kicked it even harder now.."hell he would probably do it just to get a rise out of you" he kept smiling and she kicked it harder now.."i mean if your ok with being the weakest link"

Natalie let out a loud yell as she jumped and roundhouse kicked the bag hard, nearly making john get knocked off, and then she kicked it again and again till she could barely see from the sweat in her eyes..

"Not bad, but not great" John said as he tossed a towel at her and she quickly wiped her face.."Now that were warmed up, how about that run" he said as he began to walk over to a door..

"Your kidding, right?" she said out of breath..

"do I look like im kidding" he said as he opened a door that lead to outside and she just stood there.."move it Natalie, the only way your gonna shock your system is by shocking your system" he yelled and she threw the towel onto the ground, fully pissed now as she walked over to the door and outside. It was sunny and she noticed the large track in the back.."see if you can keep up" he said and then he began running, she huffed and then began to run even when her legs already felt like they would fall off of her body.

Natalie ran more than she had in years, even when her and Rex were on the run it was different because they were always running from something. It had helped to keep her in shape but over the last months she had done less running and more hiding. It was a tiring job to be on constant alert and so they had found themselves hiding out in motels and abandoned buildings for the majority of the time.

Her legs felt like jelly but she kept pushing herself, she used the anger she had built up inside and the bitterness she felt for how her life had turned out. She wondered how different things would be if her mother had been alive. Would she of finished high school and gone to college. Would she be married by now and possibly have a child? All the what ifs of the world were consuming and the fact of the matter was that she was here now. This was her life and it didn't seem to be changing in the future.

"Just one more lap" John called from ahead of her and she bit her tongue. He was like a damn drill sergeant and at this point she didn't know if he was trying to help her or completely break her down. She used that anger to push her further and before she knew it she was catching up to him as he ran. She got closer and closer, her mind focused as she ran as fast as she could.

Before he could even see what was happening she was running past him at an incredible speed..He was beyond impressed at her strength, he had a feeling that she didn't even know how strong she was..

As she got to the end of the lap, she nearly fell to the ground panting as John ran up to her.."how the hell did you do that" he asked as he leaned over and panted. He had given it all he had and he still couldn't get to her. It was rare to see anyone outrun him but she just had..

"what? That? That was nothing" she said as she tried to catch her breath..

"well whatever you used to push yourself, do that more often" he said as he fell on the ground onto his back and breathed heavy..

"i think my legs may be broken" she said as she too laid back on the ground..

"its good for you, you know, it gets your body strong" he said as he stared up at the blue sky.."you did good Natalie"

"Just good?" she said sarcastically as she rolled her head and looked at him. He too rolled his head and looked at her..

"OK maybe just a little better then good" he smirked as he looked back up at the sky and she couldn't help but smile. She had beat him, like really beat him..A few minutes went by before either of them spoke again, finally he did.."so how long before you take off and go AWOL" he asked as she sat up now and looked at him shocked..He sat up to.."I know a runner when I see it so how long"

"well aren't you the observant one" she said sarcastically but with a hint of a smile..

"ive been told that, so a week, a day?" he asked seriously..

"Listen I just, I don't belong in a place like this" she finally said, she thought why the hell not be honest about it. She was planning on taking off. She stood now and dusted off her pants..

He stood too.."and you think its better out there, by yourself?" he raised an eyebrow.."i didn't take you for a stupid woman"

"Yeah well we all have reasons" she began..

"because of Bryan? Don't tell me its because of that prick" John began as she sighed..

"No, not just him. It's just this place, I don't do well in places like this" she said seriously..

"so you've been in places like this before?" he asked with his head cocked to the side..

"well not exactly but" she began..

"then you cant say that you don't do well, this is a good place Natalie" he said honestly.

Before she could answer him, the sight of the long legged brunette Vange came walking over to them.."There you are John, I was looking all over for you" she began as she looked at Natalie and then him as he touched his arm..

"Ive been busy" he said with a bit of annoyance as he looked at her..

"Yeah I can see that" she rolled her eyes as she looked at Natalie who was walking away now. John looked too and sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his hair..

"so what is it" he said dryly to her..

Natalie made a quick bee line for the building, she really didn't like that Vange chick and she didn't like the way she looked at her either. She didn't want to stick around for anything uncomfortable so she split quick and without a second look back..


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Natalie had to admit that the shower she took was absolutely the best shower she had had in forever. She had stayed in till the water went cold and her aching body had needed it. She tried not to seem annoyed that Vange had come in and interrupted their conversation but who was she kidding, she was quite annoyed not that she should even care but still. The woman was rude and she didn't like her.

The place wasn't half bad if it wasn't for the military style of life and the fact that they were working side by side with monsters. She laughed at the thought of staying there, she was a free spirit and free spirits needed to roam on their own. Thats how she always had it and thats how it would always be.

After getting dressed and convincing herself she would stay one more night, just enough time to get her mind and body back in working order, she had headed back to her bedroom where once again it was empty and quiet.

She took the opportunity to go through her dresser drawers where she saw numerous yoga pants, tank tops and t shirts She quickly pulled her hair into a pony tail and went in search of food, it was nearly lunch time and she was starved..

The hallway was quiet as she walked and glanced into the empty rooms, wondering where everyone had gone. She followed down another corridor where she heard the faint sound of music, she was sure it was some classical piece, maybe Mozart. She couldn't help but continue to walk towards it and see who or what was listening to it.

The sound got louder as she stopped by a door that was cracked open some and what she saw completely surprised her because in the room stood Cris with a large easel and paper on it as he painted. She watched for a few minutes in amazement. He was really good.

"You could get a better view if you came in" Cris said surprisingly as she jumped some and he turned and looked at her. Speckles of paint on his arms and shirt.. He was an attractive man, one she could envision on a GQ magazine, a pretty boy but without the attitude to go with it. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy..

Natalie pushed the door open some as he glanced at her, a paint brush in his hand..It was then that she noticed all the paintings all over the room, the walls were covered with them, all of them a beautiful masterpiece.."wow, did you paint all of these" she asked in awe as she looked at the walls..

"You gotta see beauty somewhere in the world, right" he shrugged his shoulders at her as she walked up to one of the walls and stared at a painting of a lake. There was a big bright moon reflecting on it and stars as well.. In the distance was a small log cabin.."it's a great place to visit, up in Michigan" he smiled as he walked over to her..

"these are amazing, I mean you should sell these" she said as she looked at another picture..

"yeah once upon a time, now I just do it to keep me sane, like an outlet" he said honestly.

"yeah well its one hell of an outlet, I can barely color inside the lines" she shook her head as she looked at another painting..

"its not hard you know, come here let me show you something" he said as he walked back across the room and over to the easel where he removed the painting and put a blank paper up on it..

"you want me to?" she began with a shake of her head..

"Come on, its relaxing" he said as he waved her over..

"yeah I don't see how that would be" she began as he rolled his eyes and walked back over to her..

"you don't know unless you try" he smirked..

"Yeah well I'm not creative" she said quickly..

"Just take the paint brush and see where it takes you" he held out the brush in his hand to her..

"alright but I warn you it wont be pretty and I'm basically sure you will be ruining a good piece of paper" she said with a shake of her head as she grabbed the paint brush and walked over to the blank page and stared at it..

"just go at it, before you know it you will have a master piece of your own" he grinned..

"yeah I doubt that" she said as she drew a quick line onto the paper.."see? Horrible"

"Your not even trying" he rolled his eyes playfully at her.."watch and learn" he said as he came up next to her and put his hand around hers and moved the paint brush across the paper and smiled.."see, now your an artist" he smiled..

John had overheard the voices as he came down the hall and he stopped at the door to Cris's room as he peered inside.. He saw her, Natalie. She was standing there with a paint brush in her hand, she looked happy. Something inside him turned a bit as he watched Cris move intimately close to her and put his hand on hers. He felt something he wasn't expecting, something he hadn't felt in years, was it jealousy?

"nothing like a peeping tom to start off the day right" Steele said as he walked up to John who visibly jumped and spun around..Before he could speak Steele did.."Oh don't deny it man, I saw it clear as day" he smirked proudly..

"You saw nothing" John said as he moved away from the door.."aren't you suppose to be out there recruiting"

"oh don't change the subject man, you should go say Hi to the hot little red head" Steele laughed as the door opened all the way now and Cris stood there looking at them..

"something up guys?" Cris asked..

"No" John said with agitation as he began to walk away..

"apparently not" Steele shrugged his shoulders and then grinned at Natalie who stood across the room with a paint brush in her hand.."How ya doing darling?" he waved at her as she swallowed hard.."You kids have fun" he said as he walked away and Natalie quickly looked at the paper in front of her..

Cris shook his head as he spun from the door and looked at Natalie."you hungry?"

"Oh um.." Natalie suddenly got curious as to what had been going on in the hallway, she hadn't seen John but she was pretty sure she had heard his voice and that Steele guy had a weird smirk on his face, it made her uncomfortable as if she was some butt of a joke that she wasn't aware of..

"come you gotta be, today was one hell of a work out and I can make a mean grilled cheese" he grinned..

"well since you put it that way I am a little hungry" she said as she put the brush down.."by the way what was that all about in the hall"

"I don't know, John and Steele are always a bit strange" he laughed a little..

"yeah no kidding" Natalie said honestly as she walked over to the door and they both headed out..

John got to his room and inhaled deep. He didn't like the feeling he had in his chest, it wasn't normal for him, if anything it freaked him out a bit..

"so?" Steele said as he stood by the door and John exhaled deep..

"anyone every tell you that you can be a real pain in the ass" John said as he walked over to his bed and sat on it..

"and? You say that like its a bad thing" Steele smirked.."so spill, you like the girl"

"Jesus man, you've got a wild imagination" John got up now and walked across the room..

"Oh come on were not five" Steele laughed.."she's hot" he smiled now..

"I wouldn't know ive been too busy trying to train her to not get us all killed" John said sarcastically..

Steele rolled his eyes.."Man you got it bad"

"Hows the recruiting going" John quickly changed the subject as Steele ran his hand through his long hair..

"alright I will play along" he grinned.."recruiting sucks" he said honestly..

"yeah well if you could get more of your brothers and sisters on our side" John said quickly..

"you say that like its easy, you know right now I am the enemy to them" Steele said honestly..

"yeah well we could use them, this shit is getting harder every day" John said quickly..

"you don't need to tell me, those fuckers are getting better all the time, more advanced" Steele added quickly.."we should go on a hunt together, I need something to focus on and by the looks of it so do you".

John was half tempted to interject with some snide remark but he held it back.."You know what we should, after the last hunt I could really blow off some steam"

"Now thats more like it, meet you in 30" Steele said as he left the room and John exhaled deep again. He needed to keep his head in the game and he didn't need distractions and thats exactly what Natalie was, a distraction and a dangerous one.

Cris wasn't kidding when he said he could make a mean grilled cheese. Natalie savored bite after bite of the cheesy goodness.. "this tastes wonderful" she said as she ate his sandwich..

"well what can I say I have a knack for cooking" he smirked..

"and painting, seriously you should think of putting them up on display" she said honestly as she continued to eat..

"nah, I just do it for me, I wouldn't want everyone else looking at them" Cris said honestly..

"well thats a shame because they are great pieces" she said quickly as she finished off her last bite.. Before he could say anything in return John entered the kitchen and quickly looked at them as they sat at the kitchen island and then he went to the fridge and began grabbing out bottles of water..

Natalie immediately felt a weird tension, one she didn't quite understand as John began to put bottles of water into a bag..

"thirsty?" Cris smirked as John looked at him quick. He didn't look to be in a joking mood..

"I'm going on a hunt" he said dryly as Natalie perked up some..

"you are? I'm in" she said quickly as she stood now and Cris looked at her a bit shocked..

"Natalie I don't think" Cris began quickly..

"i want in" she said abruptly as she walked over to John..

"You should listen to your boy, this isn't for rookies" he said coldly and she was taken back by his tone especially after the way they had talked earlier in the day..

"Rookie? Ive been out on the streets for years" she said defensively..

John let out a half laugh as he shook his head..

"whats that for? Why cant I go" she put her hands on her hips..

"Natalie come lets just" Cris continued..

She ignored him as she looked at John.."I'm sorry do I stutter, I said no" John spun from her as she huffed now..

"Just let it be Natalie, you need more time to heal, more time to train" Cris began but Natalie quickly stormed out of the kitchen and after John as he got into the hallway..

"Your not going, end of story" John snapped at her as he spun around and she nearly banged right into him..

"give me one damn good reason, im good out there, better then I am here" she said angrily..John ignored her as he walked over to Steele who was coming down the hallway..

"You ready bro?" Steele called out and John shook his head as he kept walking, not even looking back at her..

"its not worth getting upset about, there are plenty of hunts to go on" Cris said as he came into the hallway..

"I belong out there" Natalie snapped angrily as she stormed down the hall and Cris just watched her..

John and Steele made it to the large SUV as Steele got into the drivers seat.."Everything ok back there?" he asked..

John kept his face stoic.."yeah, lets go" he said as he bit his tongue and Steele revved the engine and then took off..

Natalie watched by the window as they took off. She was fuming pissed..

"Oh hey there you are sis" Rex said as he came over to her and then immediately saw the look on her face.."whats wrong?" he asked with concern..

"I cant stay cooped up in this place another day" she snapped as she spun around..

"we've only been here two days, not even really" Rex said with a shake of his head..

"yeah well it feels like an eternity" Natalie stormed past him..

"Nat, wait...hold up" Rex said as he went after her..

"No...don't Rex, ok...this place has me on edge, I need to be out there, I need to be doing something" she said with a huff as she stormed up the stairs and to her room..

"your sister is like a switch, hot and then cold" Cris said as he came over scratching his head as Rex sighed heavily..

"yeah try living with her for years on the road" Rex said as he walked past Cris and down the hall..

Natalie stormed all the way to her bedroom and was instantly annoyed when she heard laughter coming from it. She just wanted to be alone but that wasn't about to happen..

"Oh hey Nat, you totally kicked ass today" Ariana said with a grin..

"it was super cool, where did you learn all of those moves" Kelly smiled..

Apparently Marcy was the only one to see that she wasn't in the mood as she walked over to her bed.."hey you ok?" Marcy asked..

"No im not" Natalie sat on the bed and inhaled deep.."don't you get tired of being stuck in this place, don't you guys want to be out there" she said as she looked at them..

"I'm actually quite fine with being here, its nice" Marcy said with a shrug of her shoulders..

"yeah well I want to be out there, I want to make a difference" Natalie said with a heavy sigh..

"I hear ya, I get antsy too but you know the rules, everything has to go through Bo" Ariana sighed as well..

"Kind of unfair though huh, how the guys get to always just come and go whenever they please" Kelly added..

"and why is that? I mean were just as smart and we can all kick some major ass" Natalie said as she stood now..

"well because its dangerous out there" Marcy said quietly as they all looked at her.."what? It is"

"I just cant do it, I will go crazy" Natalie said as she walked over to her dresser and opened the top drawer and pulled out her knife and looked at it..

"Natalie, what are you thinking" Marcy said with concern..

"im thinking its about time things change around here" Natalie said as she walked to the door..

"Your not really thinking of going out there alone, are you" Marcy said as Natalie turned and looked at them..

"well damn it, im in" Ariana said as she quickly went under her pillow and pulled out a 9mm gun..

"guys this is not good, Bo will be pissed" Marcy tried to be the voice of reason..

"thats only if we get caught, im in" Kelly said quickly as she too grabbed a gun from her bed..

"You wanna come" Natalie said to Marcy..

"I don't think any of us should go, we'd be caught on site, Bo has this place on lock down" Marcy said with worry..

"I know a exit in the back" Ariana smiled..

Now Natalie smiled some.."lead the way"

"come on you guys this isn't cool" Marcy continued but the girls were leaving as she stood there completely conflicted as to what to do..


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The girls moved quietly through the large compound as Ariana lead them.."Its just around the corner here" she whispered as the girls scurried to a large metal door..

"wait a second, what if someone is out there" Kelly said as she hesitated..

"trust me I have a plan" Ariana smiled wickedly as her hand went to the door knob and she turned it slowly..She pointed for Natalie and Kelly to lean up against the wall and to be quiet as she opened the door.."Just the person I was looking for" Ariana smiled wide as she as Kelly and Natalie looked at each other with wide eyes and then a mans voice was heard..

"Ariana what are you doing out here" one of the guards named Eric said as she sauntered over to him..

"Oh come on Eric, you know I get bored in there" she said as she got in front of him.."is that a new shirt?" she smiled sweetly..

"Um yeah... I uh" he said nervously as she touched the collar..

"Very sexy" she smirked as he cleared his throat quick..

"You really shouldn't be out here" he said quickly as she rolled her eyes..

"why? I'm just looking for some conversation" she grinned as she touched the side of his face and he flinched some.."conversation is good" she moved closer until her body was pressed against his..

"Ariana" he said with a heavy breath as she stared into his eyes and pouted at him..

"Eric" she purred her words as he visibly swallowed hard..

"you really should go back inside" he said with a lump in his throat..

"But its more fun out here" she smiled as she went to move her mouth to his but he backed up some..

"if you get caught out here" he said quickly..

"Oh screw this" Natalie huffed loudly as she pushed the door open and just as Eric turned to look, Ariana pulled her gun on him as his eyes got wide..

"You know I had this Natalie" Ariana huffed..

"Yeah well we don't have time" Natalie held her knife out to Eric..

"what the hell are you doing" Eric said as he went to move and Ariana pushed the gun into his chest..

"Just don't move alright, come on Kelly lets move it" she called out as Natalie walked closer to him and Kelly peeked out and then joined them...

"Listen this isn't funny ok" Eric said nervously..

"who said anything about being funny, Kelly get his weapons" Natalie ordered as Kelly's eyes got wide..

"Listen just hold up a sec" Eric went to move his hand and Natalie jumped and put the knife at his throat..

"Oh I wouldn't do that Eric" Natalie warned..

"Geez, really Natalie" Ariana huffed..

"Just get his stuff ok and hurry up" Natalie said as she pushed Eric's back into the wall as Ariana and Kelly began to take the guns and knives off of him.."don't try to be the hero man, it wont end well" Natalie warned him as he swallowed hard..

"this is all you got?" Ariana said as she held another gun and Kelly held a knife..

"Listen guys I don't know what your thinking of doing but when Bo finds out" Eric said as Natalie pressed the knife a bit harder into his neck and he promptly shut up.."ok ok, just think about what your doing"

"why don't you just worry about yourself" Natalie began as she looked over at the girls and it was just enough time for Eric to grab at her hand as he yanked it back from his neck..

An all out struggle began as the girls grabbed at him and he yelled loud, calling for help and just as his walkie talkie began to go off, Ariana used her gun to hit him hard in the head as he fell forward..

"damn it, he nearly broke my wrist" Natalie huffed as she rubbed her hand..

"he isn't dead is he" Kelly said with fear..

"well I had it handled, why did you have to rush in like that" Ariana snapped at Natalie..

"Listen we can do this back and forth crap but I have a feeling if he doesn't answer who ever is calling him, we will be surrounded" Natalie said quickly..

"fine" Ariana huffed as they all walked around him..."i had this" she said under her breath and then they all took off running across the large field of grass to the border of the complex..

Once they got to the large fence that surrounded the place it was a clear shot through the woods. They ran until it felt as if their legs would give out..

"i just need to sit...for a sec" Kelly said nearly breathless as they stopped..

"we cant stay long, they could already be looking for us" Natalie said as she looked around. They were completely surrounded by woods..

"this is exciting" Ariana said with a grin as she looked at them.."but I still had things under control before" she added as she directed it at Natalie..

Natalie rolled her eyes.. "we got out ok, thats all that counts"

"how exactly are we gonna be able to get back in" Kelly asked as Natalie looked at her..

"why would you want to" Natalie said quickly..

"hey listen we were just going for a hunt alright, im not planning on staying out here" Ariana said quickly..

"Bo is gonna be pissed, what if he doesn't even let us back in" Kelly said with worry..

"he cant hold us like prisoners in there" Natalie snapped.."were all hunters, right? I mean who is to say if we can leave or not"

"yeah but he is gonna be pissed" Ariana said with worry in her voice now..

"Maybe we should just head back, I mean if we just explain to him" Kelly said quietly..

"im not going back, not just yet" Natalie said as she began to walk past them.."are you coming over not" she yelled out as Ariana and Kelly looked at one another and then they quickly walked after her..

They walked for a few miles until they finally saw a road.. None of them saying a word as exhaustion began to hit and they all began to wonder if this was a good idea after all..

"there's nothing around here but a dirt road" Kelly said with a huff..

"I'm getting tired, we should just head back, this hunt is officially lame" Ariana said as she stopped and put her hands on her hips..

"listen guys, we all know what is out there ok and if we take this road then were bound to find a town" Natalie said even though right about now she too was thinking of giving up..

"its gonna be dark soon ok and I don't know about you two but I seriously don't want to be out here in the dark" Kelly began with a shudder..

"when was the last time either of you too a risk" Natalie finally said as they looked at her.."staying in that compound has made you both soft"

"hey listen I can hold my own, I mean just last week I took down a demon" Ariana said proudly..

"she did, I was there" Kelly added..

"well then what the hell are you both waiting for? This is our chance to prove ourselves as not only strong women but true hunters" Natalie said loudly..

Meanwhile across town by a nearby abandoned factory, a lifeless head of a demon rolled against the concrete.."Yeah! Now thats what im talking about!" John hollered in the air as he looked at Steele..

"It does feel pretty damn good, doesn't it" Steele grinned.."i think I got my fill for the night"

"yeah I think im good too" John said as they began walking back over to the SUV. The sound of Johns phone alerting him to messages got their attention.."shit, I bet Bo is wondering where we are" John said as night quickly approached on them and he picked up his phone and began going through the messages..

Steele started up the truck as John cursed under his breath.."he's pissed huh?" he said as he looked at John..

John shook his head and gritted his teeth.."even worse, a couple of the girls took off"

"what? Who?" Steele said in shock..

"guess" John said dryly as anger began to build in him..

"No freaking way, the red head?" Steele said with wide eyes as he began to drive..

"Yeah and her roommates, lets go" John said as he tried to contain his anger..

The woods made the darkness of night seem even darker as they ran, almost completely out of breath.."come on hurry, this way!" Natalie yelled out as the sound of a wolf could be heard in the distance and the girls ran as fast as they could..

"this is so not good" Kelly yelled out as the howls began to get louder and louder. It sounded like there had to be at least six of them out there. Quickly the hunters had become the hunted..

"now isn't the time Kelly!" Ariana yelled at her friend and then she screamed as a large black wolf jumped in front of them and they skidded to a halt.."Kill the sons of bitches" Ariana shouted as they all began firing their guns but it seem to do little damage to the large wolf..

"lets go!" Natalie yelled as they took off running to the right, the wolf hot on their trail..

They dodged branches and logs on the ground as they scattered to the left and the right. Before any of them knew what was happening they were split up as they all continued to run through the dark forest. It was after a few moments that Natalie slowed down and looked all around here. All she was equip with was a gun with one bullet left and her knife. Things definitely weren't looking good for her.

The sound of a howl in the distance and then a scream had her heart racing. If something happened to the girls because of her she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. She began to run in the direction of the scream but seemingly out of no where she saw bright shining eyes as she skidded in the dirt and there stood before her a large gray wolf as she backed up slowly..

"good doggie" she said with her voice shaking as she slowly backed up from the large beast and he snarled at her, foam coming from his mouth as she swallowed hard.."Just stay there ok" she whispered as she continued to back up but then the wolf lunged at her and she didn't even have time to think as she stood frozen in fear but just as the wolf flew in mid air, so did something else, something large that tackled it to the ground. It was so dark that Natalie could barely make out what she was seeing but she could make out a large body. Then she saw long dark hair and then a yelp came out from the dog as she backed up and nearly fell onto the ground as blue eyes met hers and she gasped. She knew those eyes but it wasn't just that, she saw something else, fangs.."John" she gasped as he stood up and breathed heavy as he wiped the blood from his mouth.."Holy shit, your a... a.." she began to say in a panicked voice..

Her voice was cut off from another growl that came up behind her as she spun around.."get down!" he yelled as she did just that and she felt a huge thud come onto the ground. By the time she looked up John stood there looking over the dead wolf..

"John..JOHN!" Steele's voice was heard in the distance as Natalie quickly got to her feet as she looked at John who looked absolutely pissed and then there in the distance the outline of Steele's large body came running over, something was in his arms. It wasn't until then that Natalie saw Kelly running next to him as he came over to them.."she's hurt bad, we gotta go" Steele said as Natalie now saw Ariana's bloodied body in his arms..

"we shouldn't of gone out here, we shouldn't of" Kelly cried..

"bring her back, I got these two" John said as he looked at Steele who promptly took off running with Ariana In his arms..

"I'm so sorry, if she...if she dies" Kelly continued to cry but Natalie was in too much shock to show any emotion. What she had just witnessed shook her to the core, John just wasn't your run of the mill person, no he was something way more, he was a vampire..

"we don't have time for any of that, lets go" John barked at both of them as he began to walk fast..

"wait, wait up" Natalie said as she ran over towards John who spun around quick..

"what the hell were you thinking huh, are you trying to get everyone killed is that it!" he yelled at her..

"I wasn't..i" Natalie began to ramble some..

"You just don't get it do you, I had to kill two of those things back there and we could of used them to our advantage" he snapped..

"Listen its not just her" Kelly finally added as she wiped away tears..

"both of you are not only stupid but a risk to us all" John yelled as he spun from them..

"we shouldn't of gone out here" Kelly said again towards Natalie who just shook her head as they followed John. She had too many questions that needed answers right about now and she was gonna get her answers!

The remainder of the walk back to the compound was an uncomfortable one not to mention Natalie couldn't get the image out of her head of John, he had fangs. He was a vampire. Normally a thing like that wouldn't freak her out so much but she hadn't even thought to think that he may be one of the monsters out there but now she knew and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

By the time they got back to the compound it was pure chaos as Bo stood at the doorway, a look of disappointment on his face.."My office" he said sternly to the two of them as Kelly and Natalie looked at one another and then slowly walked to the office.

John followed them there as they entered the room, Natalie turned to say something to him but instead she was met with the door slamming in her face..

"we really fucked up" Kelly said with a tear stained face.."she's gonna be ok, right?" she looked to Natalie for reassurance but Natalie didn't know what to say as she walked over to a chair and sat in it..

It was only a minute later that the door opened up again and both girls looked as Bo came in, staring hard at them..

"Bo im so sorry" Kelly began apologetically as he put his hand up to stop her..

"do you both have any idea what you have done here" he said angrily..

"we were just" Natalie began but he cut her off too..

"I don't want to hear any excuses, Ariana could of died out there because of your recklessness" he snapped as he looked at them both..

"she's gonna be ok, right?" Kelly said with a trembling voice..

"your lucky Steele got to her when he did" Bo said as he walked over to his desk and stood by it.."whose idea was this" he said but he didn't look at Kelly, he only looked at Natalie and she rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.."Kelly wait for me in your room" he said as Kelly just looked at him with wide eyes.."Now" he demanded as she quickly got up and scurried out of the room and then he looked at Natalie..

"Listen if you wouldn't just keep us here like prisoners" Natalie began angrily as she looked at Bo..

"Prisoners? Is that how you feel, like this is a prison? No one is making you stay here and im starting to think that maybe I made a mistake by letting you stay" he began and she went to talk but he cut her off once more.."Let me finish" he said angrily as she sunk into her chair more as she looked at him.."you have broken my rules, defied the compound and put everyone at risk" he continued..

"we just wanted to do what everyone else is allowed to do, were hunters" Natalie said quickly..

"Your childish, immature and reckless" Bo barked at her.."there is a reason we do things here the way we do, there is order here" he finally took a seat now.."and right now all I want to do is tell you to get the hell out of here" he said with a heavy breath and she stood up now..

"fine, I didn't want to stay here anyway" she snapped at him.."im getting Rex and were leaving" she spun from him..

"Your brother stays" Bo said as he stood now...

"you cant keep him here" Natalie snapped as she turned and looked at him...

"i don't think you understand how things work here Natalie" Bo walked around his desk and got in front of her..

"i don't need to stand here and take this from you" she yelled at him..

"then go, I wont stop you" Bo put his hands on his hips..

"fine I will" she said defiantly and then she turned from him..

"But im telling you that you wont survive out there and then what? Your mothers death will be for nothing" he said as she turned and looked at him..

"don't you tell me about my mom" she said with her voice trembling now as emotion began to take her over.

"how do you think your mom would feel right now, seeing you act defiantly and putting yourself at risk? Do you think she would be happy" he said angrily at her..

"You know nothing about me" her voice shook..

"i know that your a lot stronger then I give you credit for but your childish behavior over runs everything" he finally said low...She went to talk but he moved in front of her.."don't be stupid Natalie, you need us just as much as we need you"

"I don't need anyone" Natalie said abruptly..

"everyone needs someone" Bo said calmly as she rolled her eyes.."im gonna offer you a chance, a chance to make good on the bad"

"no thanks I think I will just take my chances out there" she said as she turned from him but he was right in front of her as she gasped and backed up..

"you have a chance to avenge your mothers death and to make a difference in this world, but in order to do that you need to focus on whats important" he said seriously as she rolled her eyes.." you have a lot of growing up to do Natalie"

"I survived out there for years, ive killed, I know whats important" she said angrily..

"and yet here we are and do you feel like you have done the best you could because from where I stand all I see is a strong woman wasting all of energy on bitterness and selfishness" he stared at her.."you claim to love your brother and yet your actions speak otherwise"

"don't bring Rex into this" she said with a shake of her head..

"your still that scared little girl, the one who is too frightened to let anyone in because she has been hurt too much and broken so deeply" Bo said softly now and she felt tears threaten to fall..

"You don't know what your talking about" she said strongly..

"I know that your afraid of being hurt again, your afraid of letting anyone in" he said with a heavy sigh as a knock on the door was heard.." come in" he said as he continued to look at Natalie and Cris stepped in the office. Looking at them both he finally looked to Bo..

"Michael was able to stop the bleeding with Ariana" Cris said softly.."she is going to make it Sir"

Bo shook his head with relief.."thank you Cris, keep me updated" he said as Cris looked at Natalie once more and then left the room as Bo looked back at her.."you can trust me Natalie, im not the bad guy" he turned and opened the door now.."You can go and face this world alone or you can trust me so we can do this together"

Natalie didn't say anything to him as he moved aside and she walked out of the office only to see John standing there, he refused to look at her and then he was heading into the office as Bo closed the door and Natalie went to look for Rex..

"I warned you this would happen" John said as he walked across the room and grabbed a cup and a bottle of whiskey from the table as he poured himself a drink..

"she'll come around" Bo said as he walked over and John looked at him..

"Your kidding right? Ariana almost died tonight so that she could go off on a ridiculous hunt" John said as he downed the drink.."she is reckless and irresponsible" he said with a shake of his head..

"and I remember not too long ago when you were going down that same path, must I remind you of who you use to be" Bo raised an eyebrow at John..

"thats different, im not like" John began as Bo cut him off..

"you were just like that John, out of control and reckless..I remember, I was the one to find you" Bo said seriously..

"yeah well I have an excuse" John said sarcastically as he poured himself another drink..

"you cant blame your choices on genetics John, we all make our own choices and you choose to change but it wasn't an easy task" Bo said honestly..

John drank back his whiskey and sighed heavily.."she should just leave"

"and go to what? Her death?" Bo shook his head.."You know I would never allow that"

"than what? Let her stay and put us in danger again because she cant help herself" John shook his head.."Your making a wrong decision Bo, the girl is trouble"

"and thats exactly why your going to reform her" Bo said calmly..

"yeah no thanks I already tried that" John said quickly..

"your taking her on your next hunt" Bo said as he walked around his desk..

"what are you crazy? No way, you saw what happened today" John said adamantly.

"she wants to be out there, she needs to see the truth, she needs to trust" Bo said as he poured himself a drink..

"she almost got Ariana killed and your going to reward her?" John said angrily...

"not reward John, were going to show her that she needs help out there, she needs to see that we aren't the enemy" Bo said seriously as John just shook his head.. He didn't like this idea, not one bit.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Natalie made her way down to the rec hall as she searched for Rex. She could hear a lot of voices as she came to the doorway. Rex was sitting on a couch with his arm around Gigi and she stopped before entering the room. Rex was really happy there, she couldn't remember the last time she had seen him this way. How could she take this from him? Would she even be able to? She stood unnoticed at the door as she peered inside..

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you" she heard Johns voice and she spun around quick.."you pissed off a lot of people today, including your brother" he said coldly..

Natalie wanted to interject with something but the only thing on her mind at that moment was the image in her head of him.."Your a vampire" she blurted out and he looked a bit shocked.."I saw your fangs"

"i don't care what you think you saw, your obviously distressed" he said quickly. He had forgotten that she had seen him in his natural form. It wasn't a thing he let many people know about, besides Bo, Steele and Vange, no one knew who he really was and he liked it that way..

"i know what I saw, you had fangs" she said again.."what is like a secret or something" she said sarcastically and he shook his head.."it is, isn't it?" she said somewhat in shock now that he was hiding his true form from everyone..

"apparently you have too much time on your hands" he said quickly.."get your stuff together were leaving" he said as he turned from her..

"My stuff? What do you mean, where are we going?" she said as she ran up to him..

"don't worry about that, just be ready in five minutes" he said quickly as he kept walking..

"what are you gonna do drop me off in the woods like a dog or something" she said as she put her hands on her hips.

"Now thats an option" he said as he kept walking and she stood there for another moment. She glanced back at the door where Rex was and she sighed as she quickly walked towards the front door..

Cris was coming down the hall as she walked and he came over to her.."are you ok?" he asked with concern..

"i didn't mean for Ariana to get hurt" she said honestly..

"why would you take off like that" he asked with worry in his voice..Before she could answer him John got to the door..

"Lets go, come on" he barked at her..

"where are you going with him" Cris asked as he looked at her..

"I'll... I'll explain later" she said as she turned from him and headed to the door as John walked to the SUV."where are we going" she said as she neared the vehicle..

"just get inside" he snapped as he jumped in the truck and she huffed as she to got inside..he revved the engine as she looked at him..

"I know what you are" she said as he looked at her..

"You know nothing" he said and then he peeled out of there in a hurry..

Natalie sat in silence for a few minutes as he drove but the suspense was literally eating at her.."so are you going to tell me where we are going or not" she finally said as he looked at her now..

"a hunt" he said dryly and her eyes widen with shock..

"a hunt? Right now?" she said with disbelief..

"well since you cant seem to help yourself and wander off" he began as he kept his eyes on the road..

"and so your taking me on a hunt" she said again, not fully believing what she was hearing..

"trust me it wasn't my idea" he said dryly..

"Bo" she said as she looked at him and he just kept driving..

"fine, don't explain but tell me this how come Cris doesn't know your a vampire" she said as he kept staring at the road and then he flipped on the road loud to drown her out but she quickly shut it off.."why are you hiding?" she demanded and he looked at her hard now..

"anyone every tell you its rude to pry" he said dryly and then reached for the radio but she kept her hand on it...

"are you scared or ashamed" she continued to question him..

"Your really starting to piss me off" he said angrily..

"good then that makes two of us" she said sarcastically.."how old are you really, do you really drink blood of your victims, how come you can go out in the sunlight" she began to ask as he shook his head.."i know what I saw, you can deny it all you like"

"how about this, if I am a vampire don't you think it would be wise not to get me mad" he said with a devilish grin..

"im sure if you wanted to kill me you would of done it by now" she said back to him.."how come your friends with Steele, he is a werewolf, right?"

"where exactly are you getting all of this supposed information" he asked with annoyance..

"does it matter, its true, isn't it" she said quickly..

"do you want to go on this damn hunt or not" he finally snapped..

"actually im not really feeling a hunt at the moment" she said sarcastically..

"well too bad, you wanted one then your getting one" he kept his eyes on the road..

"so your a vampire" she began..

"enough with this vampire stuff" he snapped at her..

"I'm not stopping until you tell me" she stood her ground..

"you can think whatever you want" he refused to look at her..

"how come I beat you on the track, aren't you suppose to be like super fast or something" she said quickly.."i mean were you just holding back or"

"fine!" he yelled loudly now as he swerved the car onto the side of the road and she grabbed her seat belt as they came to a screeching halt.."You wanna know who I am, who I really am?" he yelled and now she was a bit scared as she looked at him.."I'm not someone to mess with, im your worst nightmare" he glared at her..

"if your trying to scare me, it isn't working" she kept her voice calm even though right about now she was a little more then scared..

"are you sure about that?" he grinned now and her eyes got wide as she saw fangs and she swallowed hard.."because right about now I can hear your heart beat speeding up, I can see the blood in your veins and if I wanted to I could drain you in less then ten seconds" he said menacingly."still wanna have this conversation?".. Natalie didn't know what to say as she quickly looked back out the window.."good, now maybe we can have some peace and quiet" he said as he put on the radio and blasted music as he drove off in a hurry...

They drove with the music on for quite sometime before Natalie couldn't take it anymore. His mood was bothering her and she just didn't get his attitude. Sure she had taken off but with good reason, she was a hunter, she wanted to hunt. The fact that she was in the truck right now with one of the things she had hunted in the past was a bit unnerving but more so it was his lack of speaking to her..She finally spoke.."how much longer are we going to drive, its getting dark out already" she said with a sigh. Her body was already exhausted with how the last few days had ended up and she was in serious need of sleep..He didn't answer her as he kept driving.."are you really planning on not speaking to me for the entire drive"

"are you planning on asking a million questions?" he said dryly as he kept driving..

"what is your deal" she snapped at him as he looked at her now..

"my deal? Whats your deal" he said sarcastically.."and for your information were almost there"

"almost where?" she said as she looked out the window, there was nothing in sight except long country barren roads..

"Haven't you ever heard the saying that patience is a virtue" he shook his head..

"patience? We've been driving for over an hour, I have a limit to my patience especially when I have no idea where we are going" she huffed just as he turned onto a dirt road and she stared out the window as they became surrounded by woods. An eerie feeling crept up on her as they drove.."whats down here" she couldn't help but ask..

"fine" he sighed now.."you remember those things before, the ones that tried to tear you into pieces, well this is their land"

"what? Why the hell are we heading there" she said as fear raced in her. She didn't have it in her to fight those things again and after the last experience she really didn't want to see another werewolf for a very long time..."do you really think this is a good idea"

"no time better then the present" he grinned but there was something behind it and then she saw a very large man step out into the road, he had to be almost seven feet tall..

"Umm I think we should turn around now" she said as her chest tightened and she looked around with paranoia. John on the other hand seemed completely calm.."John, im not kidding"

"maybe you should let me do all the talking then" he said quickly and she swallowed hard as she looked at him..

"your planning on talking to him?" she said in shock and he just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he pulled right up to the large man who had his hands on his hips. John opened the car door as Natalie froze with fear..."john...wait" she began but he was already out of the car and closing the door as she watched him near the man. She quickly glanced at the car keys encase she would have to make a quick getaway. Seriously he had to be insane!

John couldn't help but smile to himself as he walked over to Tyler. See this wasn't the same wolves that had attacked earlier, actually it was a small group of rogues that Bo had already made an alliance with but they chose to live on their own land. He could tell how frightened Natalie was and it gave him some joy in knowing that even though it was a pretty cruel prank. He was still upset that she had taken off earlier and nearly got one of their own killed but what was actually bothering him more was the closeness she had formed with Cris not that John would admit that to anyone, hell he didn't even want to admit it to himself..

"whose the human girl?" Tyler asked as he continued to stand stoic like..

"Just another recruit, hey listen I was hoping you could help me out" john began.."i got some entail the other day about a large group of our kind going missing"

"listen we try not to get involved in the otherworldly doings, you know that john but I say maybe they aren't missing at all" he glanced at the truck again.."maybe you all should stop recruiting so many humans"

"they have been far too many missing to think that its the work of hunters plus you know we only go after those who disobey the rules" john began..

"yeah well I heard different" Tyler stared at John..

Natalie swallowed hard as she watched the two men have a quite intense conversation, thankfully no one was fighting but it definitely didn't look like a carefree conversation. The tall man stood still the entire time and a few times he had looked at her with a menacing glare that made her chest tighten.

John tilted his head.."I hope your not talking about earlier today" he began as the man raised his eyebrows.."Oh come on, they were totally out of territory and they attacked our people"

"technically all grounds can be feeding grounds and it was getting late" Tyler began..

"listen its been dealt with and I didn't come here to discuss that incident, I came to find out about" John began..

"I have no information for you John" Tyler said quickly..John sighed and spun from him, seeing immediately that he hit a brick wall with that conversation.."but" Tyler began as John stopped.."I may know who you can talk to" he said as John slowly turned and faced him.."for a price of course" he grinned wide and then glanced at Natalie.

Natalie watched as the man looked at her again, this time he smiled some and she felt her skin begin to crawl. It wasn't just a friendly smile, no there was definitely something else behind it and then John was walking up to him..

"her? Yeah I don't think so" John said quickly as Tyler looked at him..

"Oh come on John you could say there was an accident, they happen all the time you know" he smirked..

"Listen the girl is off limits ok" John began as Tyler laughed..

"since when is anyone off limits John, I remember back in the day when you were up for any kind of exchange" Tyler rolled his eyes.."but then again if the information isn't that important"

"I don't play by those rules anymore Tyler, if you have a name then tell me" John said seriously..

"Information isn't free anymore these days with the way things are and such" Tyler shrugged his shoulders.."I would be willing for just a small sample and then I can give her back to you" he grinned.

John smiled wide as he neared Tyler..."so let me get this straight, you just want to borrow her for a little bit and then just give her back" he said as he stood in front of Tyler...

"i think its a fair request considering" Tyler smiled and then looked back at the truck towards Natalie..

Natalie quickly looked at the keys once more as John got closer and closer to the tall man until they were nearly chest to chest. Even though she wasn't outside the tension was felt and she found herself quickly looking around as the men continued their talk. Just as it looked as though John was walking away, he turned swiftly, so quick that Natalie could barely make out his image and then he was grabbing the tall man by his throat as Natalie gasped in horror..Within in seconds John was moving them so fast that Natalie could barely register, it wasn't until she heard he crack of a tree that she saw the mans back pressed into it as John showed his fangs..

"Oh shit" Natalie said as she fumbled in her boots to get her knife and when she turned to open her car door, she heard a loud howl fill the air and seemingly out of no where a large golden blonde wolf jumped the length of the SUV and landed right in front of it as her eyes got wide with fear..

The growling got Johns attention as he turned his head some and saw the golden wolf, he knew exactly who it was. The elder of the pack, a woman by the name of Brianna. She growled at him and within seconds he let go of Tyler as Brianna came moving slowly over to him..

Natalie watched in pure shock as John let go of the man and the large golden wolf moved slowly towards John. She was almost positive that this was going to be a fight that wouldn't end well, especially since all she had was that damn knife but then something surprising happened. The golden wolf began to change form, it was a sight Natalie had never seen before and she froze in the truck as she watched the wolf turn into a blonde haired woman who now stood before John completely naked..

"why are you causing trouble John" Brianna said as she walked over to him and Tyler rubbed his neck..

"Just a mere misunderstanding Brianna, might I add that you are looking radiant tonight" John smiled big..

"Tyler go home" Brianna ordered to him as he glared at John.."I said go home" Brianna said again louder this time as he huffed and then stormed off but not before looking in Natalie's direction and giving her a sick smile. Her hand was already on the door knob as she watched the woman approach John.."so I ask you again John, what brings you to these parts"

"I was looking for information" He finally said as he looked at the woman who was at least a hundred years older then him even though her body resembled that of a forty year old.

"and you thought you would just choke it out of Tyler" Brianna raised an eyebrow..

"you know me, im impatient" John grinned as Brianna looked at the SUV and then back at him.."she's just a recruit" he added before she could say anything..

"Mmm hmm" she nodded her head.."now about this information, what are you looking for now"

"alright, alright im looking for some info into the missing situation, im sure you've heard about it" John said as she smiled softly..

"always trying to be the hero John" she grinned..

"what can I say I have a knack for it" he grinned back.."so about that, any ideas?"

"all the information I have is hearsay John, and we all know where that can lead to" she began.."but you may want to head to New Orleans, I think you can find some answers there"

"New Orleans? Whose there?" he asked a bit shocked, he hadn't been planning on traveling that far to get answers..

"well like I said John its all hearsay but from what I heard there seems to be a new guy in town, one with a lot of money and get this, he's human" she smiled..

"and you seem to believe that this human is somehow taking the missing?" John shook his head.."that doesn't make sense, he would be outnumbered not to mention weaker"

"im just telling you what I heard, if you go there you cant miss him, I heard he is staying in the French Quarter" she said and then glanced back at the SUV.."so a recruit huh?" he smirked at him..

"Thanks for your help Brianna" John avoided her stare as he turned from her.."oh and tell Tyler to ice that neck of his" he said as he came back over to the truck and got inside as Natalie looked at him in shock.."what?"

"what the hell was that all about, I was freaking out in here" she said quickly..

"yeah well it was fine" he said as he started the SUV...

"fine? Who the hell were they" she said loud as he looked at her now..

"just some acquaintances" he began to back up the truck..

"well I hate to see how you treat your friends" she said dryly...

"yeah well I don't have many of those" he said as he began to drive off..

"so thats it, thats all your gonna say?" she said in shock.."i thought we were in this together"

"lets get something straight right off the bat, the only reason your even in this truck with me is because Bo ordered it and I unlike other people around here keep my promises" he said coldly as he drove..

"so your still mad" she sighed heavily, she thought they were past this..

"Oh mad isn't even the word I would use" he said dryly..

"fine so now where are we going?" she asked as she looked at him..

He didn't answer for a moment and then he spoke.."New Orleans"

"what? Why?" she couldn't believe his words..

"do you always ask so many questions?" he sighed.."a hunt remember" he added with annoyance..

"In New Orleans?" she said with wide eyes..

"why not im in the mood for a good old fashion Mardi Gras" he said sarcastically as he kept driving.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Natalie couldn't believe that they were heading to New Orleans. As much as she was excited to go on a hunt, to be out of her comfort zone so to speak was unnerving. John had barely said two words to her over the last hour as they drove and as much as she wanted more details, well she was still letting all of this sink in. The last 24 hours had been exhausting and she found herself just staring out the window as he continued to drive.

John had his own thoughts running around in his head as he drove in silence. He wasn't use to having any one with him when he headed out unless it was Steele. He didn't know how to act with anyone else, especially with Natalie who rattled up weird emotions in him like jealousy. He kept telling himself that she was just a human, nothing to get worked up over and yet here he was feeling like an insecure hormonal teen.

"so is there something in particular that we are looking for in New Orleans" Natalie finally asked after an hour of silence..

"well trying not to get killed will be high on the list" he said dryly as she looked at him and rolled her eyes...

"You know what I mean" she sighed..

He ignored her question as he spoke.."we will stop for a few hours so you can eat and get some sleep"

"Oh so now im allowed to sleep" she said sarcastically as he looked at her now.."fine, what about you" she finally added. Her history of vampires was slim to say the least, she had only ever seen one in the past and that was when she was younger, it was the thing that killed her mother. It still shocked her that she was sitting in the truck with one right at this moment..

"what about me?" he asked as he kept driving..

Natalie rolled her eyes once more.."are you always so difficult to talk to" she huffed.."do you sleep, do you eat?"

"You really know very little of my kind, and you say you have been out on the streets for years" he said a bit sarcastically and she just stayed quiet.."I'm starting to think that maybe you don't know anything at all" he said with cockiness..

"what? Just because im not fluent in vamp talk" she said quickly as she looked at him..

"i mean for a hunter you don't really seem to know your stuff" he began..

"excuse me? And you guessed this because I don't know if you sleep or not" she was getting angry now. She could see this being a very long car drive if he was going to act like this the entire time.

"well if you got all of your knowledge from the television then you have another thing coming" he said with a slight laugh..

"Ive seen what your kind can do alright!" she snapped angrily.."Your heartless blood thirsty animals" the words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself as he looked at her. He immediately saw he hit a cord and he couldn't help himself as he pried some more..

"wow now tell me how you really think" he said with a roll of his eyes..

"do you find joy in this, in...in trying to piss me off" she snapped at him once more..

"well then that makes the two of us" he said dryly.."I think I liked it better when you were quiet"

"You know what im thinking the same thing" she huffed as she turned herself so she could look out the window..

"You know if you think that all vampires are" he continued..

Natalie looked at him now quick, she had just had about enough.."I know exactly what you are ok, your the same kind of son of a bitch that killed my mother!" she yelled now and he blinked a bit in shock.."so don't tell me that I don't know what I saw, cause I see it every day when im awake and when im asleep" she said through gritted teeth.."can you just find a place to pull the hell over already, I need some air"..

John didn't know what to say and now he was feeling another emotion he wasn't use to, was it regret? He pulled up to the nearest motel he could find and she immediately got out of the car, right now she wanted nothing more than to be far far away from him.

She walked the length of the motel and once she rounded the small building she inhaled deep. She wasn't going to let him get the best of her, she wasn't going to let him see her cry. No one ever saw her cry.

John made his way into the motel with her words heavy on his mind. Why the hell would Bo matched them up together knowing that a vamp killed her mother. Bo had to of known, he knew everything about everyone. It irked John and he was half tempted to call the man and let him have a piece of his mind.

Natalie leaned against the building and tried to calm herself, she wasn't going to let John get the best of her. She wouldn't. It almost felt like a cruel joke right about now. A lone tear threatened to fall as she stood there breathing heavy..

"the room is ready" his voice made her jump as she quickly wiped the tear away and refused to face him.."Listen Natalie" he began but she ignored him as she stormed past him, grabbing the motel room key from his hand and she walked around the building.

Natalie made her way to room 102 and immediately entered, it brought back memories of when her and Rex would frequent spots like this. She missed him right now, she missed his quirky behavior and how he could make her laugh at the most inopportune times. She wondered if he even realized she was gone or was he pissed that she had taken off and nearly gotten Ariana killed? Rex truly looked happy with Gigi, more happy then she had ever remembered seeing him before.

She glanced at herself in the mirror and cringed at the sight that looked back at her. God she did look like hell and with that she quickly headed into the bathroom where she would lose herself for even just a little while.

John grabbed a few snacks from the vending machine and also a few sodas. He felt uncomfortable now as though he had crossed a line that he shouldn't of. He genuinely felt bad and he really didn't know how to fix it. Her mother had been killed by one of his kind, maybe even someone he had known over the years and that didn't sit right with him and he did the only thing he could think of, he made a phone call. Maybe there was one way to right this wrong.

The shower had felt wonderful as Natalie got out, she was half expecting to see John in the room but he wasn't there. Part of her wanted to yell at him some more, the other part could care less. Granted she knew that he wasn't like the vamp that killed her mom, he was fighting on the side of good but still, didn't it mean that he had tendencies for evil? She walked to the bed and sat on it, flipping on the TV as she let the sound of the news drown out her thoughts.

John stood out in the parking lot of the motel as he waited for Edwin to answer. He had kept in touch with the man over the last hundred years even when Johns own father had disowned him for supposedly turning his back on their kind. He knew that if anyone could find out information regarding the murder of Natalie's mother then it would be Edwin but he failed to answer the phone as John left a quick voice message for him. He glanced at the motel room door and quickly walked over with snacks in hand.

By the time he reached the door it was apparent that she was sleeping because of her breathing. Somethings definitely came in handy by being a vampire, especially knowing when those around you are sleeping or awake. He opened the door and saw her sprawled out on the bed, her hair still wet from the shower. He felt kind of bad for rushing her out the way he did, he could of waited till she had had proper sleep but he was so consumed with teaching her a lesson that he had rushed off and now looking at her exhausted body he began to feel bad, yet another human attribute he would rather live without.

Natalie awoke with a jump, the sunlight hitting her eyes as she sat up and quickly looked around the room..There were snacks on the end table as well as drinks but John wasn't there. She took the opportunity to grab a bag of chips and a soda as she wolfed them down like there was no tomorrow. After she finished the small bag of snacks she stood up and walked to the window looking out. The sun was shining bright and if only for a second it would seem like an ordinary day but the world was a much darker place then that. The sound of the door knob being turned instantly put her on guard as she grabbed for her knife with a steady hand.

"House keeping" a female voice was heard as Natalie relaxed some..

"just come back later" she called out and thats when she noticed the bathroom door was closed and steam was escaping from under it. Was John in the shower? Did vampires even shower? The sound of the water turning off made her quickly put her knife back into her boot as she sat on the bed..When the door opened, steam billowed out as the silhouette of his body filled her eye sight. For a moment she was sudden speechless, even with the steam of the bathroom she could outline defined abs, broad shoulders, a double wide chest and a muscled waist that had a towel wrapped around it.

"who was that" he asked, snapping her from her thoughts as the steam began to lift..

"Just house keeping" she quickly looked away from him as her heart began to race..

"well were getting on the road in a few" he finished as the door closed and she let out the breath she had been holding in. Seriously she needed to get a grip, so what if he was the embodiment of beautiful, wasn't that what the whole allure of vampires was about? It was the perfect weapon to use against humans.

Natalie was already out by the car by the time John had gotten out of the shower. He had finally got to talk to Edwin just hours prior and he was already looking into the murder for John. He hoped that in just a few short hours they would have their answer. Its not like vampires kept tabs on their victims but a vampire never did forget who he killed. It was something about draining that last bit of blood that seem to stick with them, the memories of the one they just killed. It had been one of the things that John had never truly gotten over which is why it was easy for him to change his life. No more drinking from the humans, not really anyway. Just animals or the good Ole red cross is what helped him out these day but a vampire never truly forgets what the rush is like to have the fresh stuff, it stayed with you every day.

The car ride was a quiet one as they made their way through the small town until Natalie finally spoke.."what made you change" she asked..

He didn't answer for a few moments as he drove and she expected that he wouldn't but surprisingly he finally did.."you just get tired of playing the same old game, sometimes you just need to change and Bo helped me do that".

"but he's different too" she said as he looked at her now..

"yeah well apparently he got tired too" he said with a nod of his head.."im sorry if I came off as an asshole earlier, im not really good with socializing" he said as he looked back at the road. She was a bit surprised that he was apologizing, she hadn't been expecting that.. She didn't know how to answer him.."but as of right now were in this together and I need to know that you wont go off half cocked, I need to know that you will do as I say"

"You know im pretty good at taking care of myself" she began as he looked at her.."im not good with orders" she said honestly..

"yeah well orders could be the difference of being alive or dead" he added..

"OK" she sighed heavily.."under one condition" she said as he sighed now and looked at her.."you cant leave me in the dark, if were going to do this like you said well then I need to know what were going up against because something tells me this isn't just your everyday hunt".

She waited for an answer and half expected once more not to get one and when she went to speak again, well he did first.."there's been a lot more going on then what you know, think of it as an otherworldly issue" he began as he kept his eyes on the road and she swallowed hard, whatever was going on in New Orleans was big, real big. She could see it in his face.."a few months back there was talk about my kind going missing, at first we just played it off as if it was random hunters or maybe even fighting within groups" he said as he glanced at her now.."but its something more, something none of us expected." he took a deep breath.."it went from a hand full of us being gone to hundreds, enough to get your attention"

"when you say your kind, you mean vampires or every species?" she asked as her mind began to race. It didn't make since for people like John to just up and be gone. It was common knowledge among hunters that the 'others' outnumbered the human race and it was quickly escalating.

"mine and everything in between" he said as he glanced at her.."Natalie this isn't some random hunt against the uncooperative, were talking huge numbers just going off the grid and someone is behind it"

"and that someone is in New Orleans?" she asked with confusion and a bit of shock at what she was hearing..He didn't answer her but he looked at her in such a way that she had her answer.."Holy shit, but why, how?"

"thats what were going to find out" he said quickly as he drove..

This information was being a bit much to swallow as Natalie tried to digest it all. Why would someone go after that many supernaturals. If it wasn't hunters then what could it be and what would the motivation behind it be?

"all you need to know is that were going to get to the bottom of it and all I need to know is that I can trust you not to do something stupid. Can I trust you Natalie?" he asked as he looked at her now..

"i wont do anything stupid" she finally answered him as she sighed..

"good" he looked back at the road.."You should try and get more rest, we'll be there in a few hours and I need you to be on point"

Natalie didn't speak for a moment and then she finally did.."You know im gonna need something a bit bigger then just my knife"

"thats why you got me" he slightly smiled and then looked back at the road..

"thank you for giving me my knife back by the way" she finally added as he glanced at her and then nodded his head..

"Like I said, get some rest. It's almost show time"he finished as he continued to drive.

Natalie hadn't felt this nervous in god knows how long. She was actually worried and it was a feeling she hadn't had in forever. In the past it was just her and Rex trying to survive. Sure they had killed things along the way but they had also stayed away from danger. They could see the signs and they avoided them like the plague but now they were marching right into it, it was unnerving and frightening to say the least..

"Your worried" he finally said as she looked at him a bit in shock.."vampire senses remember" he shrugged his shoulders..

"Yeah I keep forgetting about that" she said honestly.."so do you constantly sense things?" she began with a bit more then nervousness. Suddenly she began to think of him in the bathroom and the way she had looked at him, had he noticed? She felt like a huge spot light was on her as her face began to flush and she looked out the window..

"If I want to yes, and sometimes it just happens like now, your scared its amplifying off of you" he glanced at her and she swallowed hard..

"im concerned, thats all" she lied as she kept looking out the window..."I'm not really in a dying kind of mood today" she said dryly.

"well good that makes two of us" he smirked some as she looked at him now and smiled nervously.."its gonna be fine, just getting some info and then going from there"

"so were not actually gonna be going in with guns a blazing?" she said with relief in her voice.

"No, I find that talking can be just as helpful plus we wouldn't have the man power to do anything anyway" he said honestly.."trust me I don't have a death wish and New Orleans is home to all sorts of things"

"so Ive heard" Natalie shook her head. It was common knowledge that New Orleans was full of just about every supernatural being out there, even witches but up until today it was all just hearsay to her. It was a completely different thing to just walk up on it. The thought that maybe they wouldn't so welcomed there weighed heavy on her..

"Listen ive dealt with them before, I probably know a lot of them, not everyone you come across is out for blood. Most of us are just looking to live normal productive lives" he said seriously.

"well lets hope that it is still that way" she said nervously..

"confidence is the key and no one will mess with you, if anything they will just think that I brought my food source with me" he continued to drive..

"food source, not comforting at all" she said sarcastically..

"its not unheard of, the majority of humans that become donors are completely willing" he said honestly..

"Oh great, so these donors just come along for the ride and let you just drink when needed" she said with a shake of her head..

"Basically" he said nonchalantly..

"But you don't drink" her voice trailed as anxiety filled her..

"Humans? no.. im more of a vegan now" he couldn't help but laugh some. To even hear himself say that out loud was a bit funny..

"but when were back at Bo's, I saw you drink beer, I saw you eat food" she said quickly as confusion filled her..

"its an acquired taste, not many can stomach it but its good for appearance sake" he said honestly.

"why don't you just come out and let everyone know, I mean its just odd that you would hide it from everyone" she asked with curiosity

"its a little more complicated then that, I tell who I feel I can trust" he said seriously..

"so does that woman know" she blurted out the words before she could think about what she was saying.

"woman? What woman?" he asked with confusion now..

"I saw you talking to that woman Vange" she tried to be nonchalant but fell short. She seriously wanted to shut up right about now..

"she knows" he said as he looked back at the road..

"Oh" was all she could say, she was at a loss of words..

"I like to keep my private life, well private" he added..

Natalie wanted to quickly change the subject off of Vange, especially since she knew that John would be able to sense her emotions. "is your brother?" she began..

"Michael? Yes, he is like me" he said quickly..

"and yet he is a doctor" she said somewhat in shock.

"Michael was always helping people even before" his words trailed now..

Natalie's eyes opened wide now as she looked at him.." you remember before?"

"Bits and pieces, the important stuff" he said a bit uncomfortably..

"How old are you?" she couldn't help but ask as she looked at him..

"You kind of lose track over time but I would say two hundred give or take a few years" he said as he looked back at the road..

"wow, two hundred years old thats gotta be amazing, to see the world change over time" she began as he looked at her now..

"to watch people die that you care about, to witness wars erupting over politics and religion, I wouldn't quite call it amazing" he sighed..The atmosphere got uncomfortably quiet as Natalie let his words soak in. She hadn't thought about the downside of being immortal.."trust me, being immortal isn't always what its cracked up to be" he added..

Natalie honestly didn't know what to say. This was all very very new to her and even though she had a million more questions for him, well she let it end there for now. The tension was building quickly and she could only imagine what he had been through..Maybe they weren't so different after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Natalie had traveled to a lot of places over the years but New Orleans wasnt one of them. She mainly stuck to the neighboring states of New jersey but she had heard all of the stories about New Orleans, ones that seemed completely made up and others that sent a chill down her spine. The next few hours were mostly in silence expect for the radio that played old rock songs that she let drown out her thoughts as she stared out the window.

The sign that welcomed them to Louisiana made her stomach tighten, this was it. They were finally close..

"we will get a room right outside of New Orleans that way we can scope the place out a bit" John said finally as she looked at him..

"i still don't understand why a normal man would have something to do with the missing" Natalie added..

"Ive seen stranger things" John said honestly..."sometimes the most dangerous people are just regular men" he looked back at the road..

"and yet here we are" she said as he glanced at her..

"like I said I have seen stranger things" he said and she was almost sure she saw a hint of a smile but it quickly faded.

John hated to admit it to himself but he actually enjoyed her company. It had been a long time since he had had a woman around him that affected him so much but he also wasnt stupid. They were very different, in every way shape and form. It had been easy for him to find women to distract himself with and he had had his fair share, including Vange but Natalie was so different then anyone he had ever met and that was saying something especially since he had been around for two hundred years.

"Now like I said before, if I say we leave then we leave, no questions asked" he finally said seriously as he looked at her..

"Trust me im not going to fly off the handle and especially not with being surrounded by supernaturals" she said quickly..

"good, as long as were on the same page" he nodded his head and kept driving..

The sound of his cell phone ringing broke the silence as he quickly put it to his ear as Natalie watched.."Bo whats going on" he said quickly and then Natalie could hear yelling on the other end.."Listen before you get all crazy, I got this ok..Bo... just let me" he kept trying to cut off the yelling but to no avail.."listen... you don't understand, Bo.."

Natalie watched as Bo could be heard yelling but she couldn't make out what he was saying but it was obvious he was pissed..Natalie wondered why.

"Bo I know what im doing ok, I do.." John began to say through gritted teeth and then he let out a low growl and shoved the phone at Natalie.."Here" he added as Natalie cautiously took the phone from him..

As soon as she took the phone she heard Bo.."Natalie...Natalie are you alright" Bo said with worry in his voice and it was a bit confusing to her especially since she had been under the impression that he was still mad at her..

"I'm ok" she finally said as Bo let out a sigh of relief..

"Listen im sending someone to get you ok" Bo began as her eyes got wide..

"what? Why? I said I was ok" she said in shock..

"Natalie you weren't suppose to be a part of this, John should of never took you along" Bo said angrily..She was a bit surprised to hear his words. Had John took her without Bo knowing, she had thought that this is what Bo wanted.."John will pull off at a safe location and" Bo began..

"wait...no.. im fine" Natalie blurted out as John looked at her..

"No your not, your were supposed to go on a small hunt but this...no...i wont have it" Bo said sternly..

"Listen Bo im fine ok" she began but he cut her off..

"I'm not asking, im telling you" Bo barked at her..

"But" Natalie began but the line went dead as she looked at the phone..

"He hung up?" John said as more of a statement then anything else..

"he is pissed" Natalie said with shock in her voice still.."did you take me along without him knowing" she asked as she looked at him and he grabbed the phone from her and huffed..

"theres a time window ok, Bo doesn't get that" he huffed angrily.."he's sending Steele to get you"

"yeah well too bad for him that im staying" she began as he looked at her now..

"listen this is for the best ok, its dangerous" John began..

"what? So now your just sending me back?" she raised her voice with shock.."I'm not going back, we got this far"

"yeah and Bo is right, I should of never brought you" John said quickly..

"No, thats not fair.. you cant do this!" she yelled now as he shook his head.."I'm not going back, not yet"

"well you really don't have a choice ok, Steele is already on his way and with his speed he will be here within hours" John said with annoyance..

"so thats it, you take me on this freaking joy ride and now its over" she said sarcastically...

"you don't get it do you Natalie, Bo makes the rules here ok" John snapped..

"you didn't seem to care about his rules when you took me along" she snapped back at him.."I'm going to New Orleans like it or not"

John couldn't help but let out a small sarcastic laugh.."no your not" he finished as he pulled into a parking lot of a gas station..

"you know I may not be like you but im not weak" she said angrily as John shook his head..

"Your going back, end of story" John said as he quickly got out of the truck and slammed the door shut as he headed inside the gas station as Natalie sat there in shock..

John got inside the gas station store and he had to calm himself. He knew Bo was right and granted he hadn't been thinking when he dragged Natalie along but he really hated being yelled at, by anyone but especially by Bo.. He grabbed a soda and a bag of chips for Natalie and then proceeded to the register to pay for gas..

Another call came through on his phone as he huffed and quickly answered.."what!" he said with annoyance..

"Really? Is that anyway to greet me when you have me looking for all sorts of information for you John" Edwin said with a laugh..

"its been a long day, any info?" John sighed heavily as he pulled out a credit card and handed it to the cashier..

"tell me about it, I was expecting to just hang low for a while but now you have me stirring up all kinds of shit" Edwin huffed.."But yes I got something but your not gonna like it"

Natalie was pissed as she sat in the truck. She couldn't believe he was sending her back to the compound. She had wanted to be there when he got to New Orleans, she wanted to make some kind of difference in this world and now as it would seem she was deemed too weak for anything. She glanced at the steering wheel and then the dangling keys as the wheels in her head began to spin. She quickly looked at the store where John could be seen at the register and then she did something unexpected, something that even surprised her. She jumped to the drivers seat in a flash and put the truck in drive and before she knew it, she was heading out of the small gas station and going down the road as her heart raced..

John could barely let the words register as Edwin spoke but then something caught his eye as he watched the SUV take off down the road.."Son of a bitch!" he yelled, making the clerk jump some at his tone.."I gotta call you back" John said as he hung up the phone..

"was that your truck?" the clerk said in shock as John just shook his head.. He couldn't believe she just took off.."I can call the cops" the young guy continued..

"don't, I got this" John huffed angrily as he left everything on the counter and stormed out of the store and looked down the street where she had taken off..

Natalie sped down the road as her heart raced. She had just stolen his truck but she didn't care. She wasnt leaving Louisiana not until they got to New Orleans. Immediately she began to think of who she was messing with. John wasn't just an ordinary man, no he was much much more. She wondered if he could track her and she huffed. Of course he could. She would have to come up with another plan and very quick.

John stepped out onto the road and it took everything in him not to go absolutely berserk. She had taken off and he knew exactly where she was heading to. The heavy traffic around him made it impossible for him to move at the speed he wanted to. Its not everyday that humans saw a man running at lightening speed. He glanced at the woods on the far side of the road, at least if he got out of sight he could make a run for it. Her scent was still strong but fading quickly, so without another thought he got across the road and into the woods. As soon as he knew he was out of sight he took off. At this speed he would be up to her within minutes..

Natalie weaved in and out of traffic. She couldn't believe how congested it was on this road and then she saw the exit for New Orleans and she sped towards it. She wondered how far she would get before he got to her and then she had an idea, one that would assure that she made it into the city and with that she quickly pulled over to the side of the road..

John whipped through the woods, following her scent as he stayed close by the road but far enough so that prying eyes couldn't see. Up ahead he saw his truck on the side of the road and he slowed his running to a slow jog as he made his way over to it. The hood was open and her scent was as strong as ever. He quickly walked over to the passenger side door, expecting to see her sitting there but when it opened he saw nothing but her t-shirt. Anger rose up in him as he stood there and slammed the truck door so hard that it actually dented the metal.."Damn it!' he yelled out as he looked around at the passing cars, she was no where in sight and her scent was long gone now.

Natalie sat in the back of the large VW van that had a huge peace sign on the side of it. The smell of marijuana all around her..

"You sure you don't want any?" a long haired hippie looking guy said to her as he held out the joint to her but she shook her head no as he passed it over to yet another hippie looking girl..

She had pretended that her truck had broke down and thats when she ran across the hippie van, it was perfect. She had even took off her t-shirt and left herself in a tank top. She knew John would eventually catch up with her but not before she got to New Orleans..

"so is this your first time to Mardi Gras?" a girl with dread locks said with a smile..

"Yep, any advice for a first timer" Natalie made conversation. They were all harmless to say the least.

"Just go with the flow if you know what I mean" one of the hippie guys winked at her and she fought the urge to roll her eyes..

"Oh check this out, you should definitely go" the hippie girl said as she handed Natalie a flier that had a rave party on the front of it.."I go every year, its like totally wicked" she grinned...

"I might check it out" Natalie said as she held onto the paper...

"so your friend is meeting you there?" one of the guys grinned at her..

"yep, I hope I wont be late with all of this traffic" she said quickly..

"Nah were almost there" he grinned at her..

John was beyond pissed as he drove in the heavily congested traffic heading into New Orleans. There were so many scents around him now that he worried if he would even be able to sense hers, but he knew once he did he was gonna make sure she got the hell out of there especially after pulling this stunt!

Natalie thanked the hippies in the van as she got out and looked at the crowded streets all around her. She was in New Orleans and it was a sight like none other. It literally looked like a party in the road. People were drinking and partying as she walked past them and glanced at the old buildings that surrounded the streets. This was one of the old past times that young adults her age would find themselves doing and yet she had missed this aspect of life. Part of her longed for that moment to be carefree and normal but that wouldn't happen, not ever.

She glanced at all the numerous bars and clubs on this road and she quickly headed towards one. She had no money in her pocket but that never stopped her before, if anything she knew how to get free drinks. She quickly pulled her hair into a pony tail and then fixed her shirt so that her tank top was hanging dangerously low.

The bar was packed as she walked in, literally standing room only as she pushed her way past people and headed towards the bar.. Music played so loud that she could barely hear herself think. She got to the counter and leaned against it, literally pushed between two people as she waited for the bartender who looked completely overwhelmed with orders..

She glanced at the couple sitting next to her as they kissed heavily and she eyed their fresh drinks that were just brought over. She quickly grabbed one and moved away from the bar as she downed it and shivered as the alcohol burned her throat. She looked around the bar for some poor sap to swindle and across the club she saw a guy leaning against the wall. She fixed her shirt some more and began to make her way over to him..

She grabbed another drink from a table quickly and drank it back before anyone noticed. The guy leaning against the wall looked heavy in thought as she came over towards him and he glanced at her as she flashed him a seductive smile and he returned one back to her..

"Hey" she said with a smile as she walked up to him..

"Hey yourself beautiful" he smirked at her.."Having fun?"

"sort of, what about you" she smiled at him..

"I am now" he grinned and she did too.."let me get you a drink"

"sure" she smiled as she bat her lashes and he waved one of the many waiters over towards him and he came immediately. It was weird especially with the place being so packed..

"A bottle of the best wine and not the house stuff" he said to the waiter who shook his head quickly..

"Yes Sir" the young guy said and then quickly walked away..

"Impressive" Natalie said honestly as the guy smiled and looked at her..

"what can I say I have a way with words, lets find a seat" he smiled and then took her by the hand and began to lead her towards some stairs that had a sign that read VIP..

"Oh I don't think were gonna be able to" Natalie began as they neared a bouncer standing by a red rope that blocked the stairs but the large man just opened the gate and they began walking up as Natalie blinked in shock.."now how did you do that" she said in shock..

The short haired man looked at her and grinned.."charm I guess" he grinned as he lead them to a secluded table..

"expensive wine, VIP?" she said with a raised eyebrow..

"your hard to please" he smiled some.." I'm Markus and you are?" he finished as she took a seat and he moved across from her..

Natalie had to think quick and the first name that came to her head was a nick name that Rex use to call her .."Red, nice to meet you Markus"

"Red, hmmmm?" he raised an eyebrow as the same waiter came rushing over with an expensive bottle of wine and two glasses..

Natalie used the opportunity to take her glass after it was poured and sipped it slowly as she looked at Markus.. There was definitely something about this guy, she just couldn't pin point it. He was a handsome guy with short blonde hair, deep green eyes and a strong build. She began to think of the rumors she had heard about New Orleans and she wondered if they were true and if Markus was something more than just a man..

"so do you come here every year?" she asked him with a smile..

He sipped his wine as he looked at her and then he spoke."you could say so, I live here"

"Oh" she said somewhat in shock as her heart began to race..Rumor had it that supernaturals ran this town and she couldn't help but wonder what he was..

"and you?" he raised an eyebrow..

"Oh yeah, every year, cant get enough of it" she lied as she sipped her wine..

"Really? So whats your best place to visit?" he asked suspiciously and she swallowed hard..

"Oh you know I like it all, I don't like to pick just one place" she began as she sipped more of her drink.."and you whats your favorite place"

"it would be The Marlin, great food" he said quickly..

"Oh yeah that place is great" she agreed as she downed her wine..

"More?" he grinned as he poured her some..."so where did you say your from again?"

"I didn't" she sipped her drink.."New York" she lied quickly.."so are you going to tell me about this" she glanced at the wine and then around the large area.."I doubt its all charm" she added with a smile..

"so maybe I have a few connections in this city, cant help it when your born and raised here" he sipped his wine as he smiled..

Natalie began to wonder if maybe just maybe she could get a bit of information out of him, considering he was a local and all. She pushed back the strange feeling she had of him and spoke.."so it doesn't bother you about all the rumors of this place"

"rumors? As in?" he raised an eyebrow..

"You know all the folk lure about witches and what not" she said nonchalantly..

"Oh that rumor" he laughed a little.."maybe its true, maybe its not" he winked at her and she swallowed hard...

"oh come on give me a little something" she grinned at him..

"OK only for a price" he smiled as he stood and she quickly downed her drink.."one dance" he held his hand out to her and she threw caution to the wind. One dance wasnt gonna kill her plus she may just get some valuable information out of him.."deal?" he waited for her answer..

"sure" she said as she stood now and took his hand and he pulled her close right then and there as she gasped some. He was strong, like really strong.."I'm not a really good dancer" she added as she looked up at him..

"thats ok, all you have to do is follow my lead Natalie" he smiled as he spun them around the small space. It took her a second to realize that he had called her by her name, she hadn't given him her name and before she could say anything he was dipping her backwards..His face moved towards hers and she immediately panicked..

"stop" she pushed back on his chest as he pulled her up and she backed up from him.."i should go, thanks for the drink" she said as she spun from him but he was right in front of her as she gasped and backed up.."Listen I don't want any trouble"

"whats wrong Natalie, you look flushed" he smiled and this time she saw fangs and she swallowed hard..

Natalie stumbled back to the table and quickly grabbed the knife off of it as he rolled his eyes.."just stay back" she said as she looked around for someone to help her but by now everyone had left the VIP area. She contemplated screaming but it would be futile, the music was so loud that no one would hear her..

"you know its rude to walk into someones establishment, steal drinks and then lie to someones face" he said as he walked slowly towards her.."don't act so shocked to see what I am, your thoughts scream loud enough for me to hear, your a hunter"

Natalie continued to back up as she looked around.."ok you got me, im a hunter"

"apparently not a good one if your coming to New Orleans alone, or are you?" he raised an eyebrow and before she could answer, he was right in front of her as her back hit the railing that looked down to the floor below them. She quickly looked over it and gasped. That would be one hell of a fall.."now, why don't you try again and explain what your doing in my club" he said with a deadly serious tone..

"your club, of course" she said with a shake of her head..He didn't look amused as she swallowed hard.."like I said im not looking for trouble, im just"

"Your just what? Hmmm?" he pushed himself into her as her breath quickened.."i don't like liars and I don't like hunters" he flashed his fangs again at her as her eyes grew wide..

"thats enough Markus" John said from behind them as Natalie gasped and Markus spun around..

"John, long time no see, I was just having some fun" Markus grinned wide..

John looked past him and at Natalie who was standing with wide eyes as she looked at him.. He had found her and at the nick of time..He looked pissed..

"My apologies to the little lady, how about a drink?" Markus grinned as he walked back over to the table and Natalie stood there for a moment and then John was coming over to her..

"Listen before you say anything" Natalie began..

"Are you out of your god damn mind" John raised his voice...Natalie was at a loss for words as she stood there, swallowing hard..."I'll take that drink now" John spun from her and walked over to the table as she stood there completely in shock..


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Natalie stood awkwardly by as John downed one drink and then another.."Haven't seen you in these parts in years" Markus began as he looked at John..

"yeah well ive been busy" john said as he narrowed his eyes at Natalie..

"Apparently so" Markus grinned and glanced at Natalie who swallowed hard.."I was beginning to think the rumors were true" he looked back at John..

"well you should know better then anyone not to believe everything you hear" John refused to look at Natalie now..

"so I take it she is yours?" Markus raised an eyebrow at John who just stared at him.."ok ok don't get your panties in a bunch, I remember how territorial you can get with the ladies"

"Yeah well remember that" John said quickly..

"well don't just stand over there darling, come join us" Markus said with a smile towards Natalie and she honestly didn't know what to do.." she is a pretty one" he continued.."You know if you get bored with her I could always put her to good use here, she smells wonderful" Markus inhaled deep and John leaned against the table quick.."no disrespect, I swear" Markus said quickly..

"keep your thoughts to yourself Markus" John warned.."don't be rude Natalie, have a seat" John finished as she nervously walked over to them and quickly sat down..

"Now this is cozy" Markus smiled as John poured a glass of wine for Natalie and she gratefully took it.."You should really keep a leash on that one" he smirked..

"as much as I would like to say I came back here to have small talk" John began..

"let me guess you couldn't resist Mardi Gras, seriously how many years has it been John, twenty or thirty perhaps" Markus grinned at Natalie..

"Long enough" John added quickly..

Natalie knew she had to say something soon but she was also trying to keep her mind blank from Markus, she finally spoke.."i really am sorry I went off without you John, I couldn't resist"

John looked at her with a 'keep your mouth shut' sort of look and it made her swallow hard..

"a girl who likes to party, cant argue with that now can we" Markus smiled.."john here is temperamental at best but im sure you have realized that" he winked at Natalie and then he stood up.."let me go grab a quick bite to eat, it looks like you too have some talking to do" Markus said as he walked across the room and towards a group of women who were laughing..

"Listen let me" Natalie began but John grabbed her hand hard as she winced..

"not here, not now" he said through gritted teeth as he looked around..

"if you would of just" Natalie continued..

"do you want to get yourself killed in here, you've done and said enough now get up were leaving" he stood now and she did too..

"we have an opportunity here" she whispered as she yanked her hand back roughly..

"is that what you call this, I cant even do this right now" John said through gritted teeth as he grabbed her hand again and lead her around the table..

"you know your the one causing a scene right now, cant you see how perfect this is" she said quickly as he looked at her..

"Your lucky that Markus is busy at the moment, keep your thoughts to yourself" he snapped at her under his breath as he pulled her towards the stairs.

"You know I never said I needed your saving" she huffed at him as John stopped and spun around, he got dangerously close to her..

"this right here is not a game" he said angrily.."Now were gonna walk out of here before you ruin things for good"..Natalie couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.."Your really starting to piss me off" he said dangerously low towards her and then his eyes darted at Markus who was now looking at them with curiosity.."shit" John said low..

"what? What now?" Natalie began but before she could even finish her sentence Johns lips were on hers in a very heated, very aggressive kiss that took her completely by surprise. All thought and logic left her mind as his hands went roughly into her hair and his tongue savagely moved against hers.

John knew that he had merely seconds before Markus read her mind and everything would be ruined. He had to think quick and the only way he could think of getting her to shut up was to kiss her, what he hadn't been expecting is how his body would react to that kiss. It was definitely reacting and faster then he could control it.

"well I think this calls for more drinks, maybe something stronger" Markus said as John pulled back and Natalie stood there breathless as she looked at John who seemed completely composed..

"sounds like a plan" John said quickly as Markus began towards the stairs..John could barely look at Natalie now as his body continued to react to the kiss.."we need to make a break for it now before he gets back" John finally said as he grabbed her hand roughly and began to pull her towards a back hallway..

"wait but what happens when he gets back" Natalie finally composed herself long enough to speak. That kiss was still reverberating through her body, making it hard to even think..

"we cant risk it" John pulled her quickly into an empty room, where he finally let go of her hand and went to the window and looked out..They were two stories up and he sighed heavily..

"Listen I think if we just" Natalie began as John spun and looked at her..

"There is no 'we' here Natalie" he snapped at her and then quickly opened the window..

"so what are we gonna do just jump out the window" she said sarcastically as he just looked at her.."no way, we gotta be up two floors" she shook her head..

"yeah well lucky for you I always land on my feet" he said and then before she knew it he was in front of her as she gasped..

"what? No" she said in shock but it was too late. John was already grabbing onto her and before she knew what was happening, he was jumping out the window and she was holding on for dear life. He hit the pavement hard as Natalie let out a loud gasp of air.."what are you insane!" she yelled as she stumbled back and he grabbed her arm to stop her from falling.

"Now isn't the time to fight with me" John said sternly as he looked around the small alley way..

"Like hell it isn't, you cant just jump out a damn window" she began to rant but he pushed her back against the concrete wall hard, his hand quickly going to her mouth..

"shhh..were not alone" he warned her as she swallowed hard and he looked around once more.."come on, quickly" he said as he took her by the hand and damn near dragged her down the alley but then he stopped fast.."shit" he said under his breath...

"what? What is it now?" she began but before she knew it he had her back against the wall as his mouth attacked hers. She was literally breathless as he kissed her once more. She couldn't even think as he pressed himself against her and his hard body formed against hers..

"oh I see how it is" Markus said from behind them as John pulled back and Natalie breathed hard.."just drink and leave?" he raised an eyebrow..

"i decided on a change of plans" John said dryly as he pulled Natalie close to his side. All she could focus on was how nice his lips felt on hers and how aroused she had become. It literally left her blushing knowing that not only could John read her thoughts but Markus as well..

"I see that" Markus grinned as he looked at Natalie."damn lucky John, damn lucky"

"yeah well if you don't mind" John said quickly..

"ok fine, who am I to interrupt such a moment but before you go" Markus said with a smile as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to John.."some old dude is holding a party tonight and from what I hear its gonna quite the thing"

John looked at the paper and then at Markus.."we'll think about it"

"definitely do" Markus smiled.."enjoy each other" he added with a smirk as he headed out of the alley and down the street..

John looked at the paper again as the wheels began to spin in his head.. Natalie on the other hand was barely holding herself up with her legs that were now shaking.. Damn he could kiss!

She quickly tried to pull herself together.."whats that?"

"You don't need to worry about it" John said as he looked back and forth once more..

"this could be the guy though" Natalie added as he looked at her now..

"and like I said you don't need to worry about it" John said coldly as he shoved the paper in his back pocket.."we need to go"

"I'm not going" Natalie refused to budge from that spot as John turned and looked at her..

"you don't have a choice" he said with a shake of his head..

John headed out of the alley as Natalie stood there. She hated that she couldn't think straight at the moment and she hated even more that he was calling all the shots once more. She attempted to make a bee line as she spun around but apparently John was two steps ahead as she damn near bumped into him..

"damn it why do you have to do that!" she snapped at him..

"I'm not joking Natalie, were leaving and were leaving now" he said angrily but he was more angry at himself for losing falling into that kiss and how it affected him. He could see it written all over her face even though she tried to hide it. It affected her too and he wanted nothing more then to find an excuse to do it again even though he knew it would lead to nothing but trouble.

"Listen can you just hear me out ok" she huffed as she tried to clear her mind of all thoughts of his body and lips..

"I told you im not doing this, if you didn't notice we almost got caught back there" he said seriously..

"and yet we didn't, ok" she finally said as he rolled his eyes.."I can help"

"You can barely walk without tripping over yourself" he said sarcastically..

Now Natalie rolled her eyes at him.."wow your all personality huh"

"I know what your doing and its not gonna work, don't make me do this the hard way" he warned her..

"Oh like what? Jumping out of a damn window" she yelled at him just as a group of people walked pass the alley and peered over at them..

"can you keep your damn voice down already" he huffed as he stepped closer to her and she swallowed hard, her mind going back to his lips..

Her thoughts screamed out to him and it caught him off guard as he looked at her and quickly backed up.."Steele will be here any moment" he said quickly..

"I said im not going" she snapped once more but this time a guy stopped at the entrance of the alley and looked at them as John turned and eyed the large man. He had werewolf written all over him as he quickly came over and John huffed loud..

"This is just great" John shook his head with annoyance..

"everything ok over here?" the man asked as he got closer.

Natalie used the opportunity to stand her ground even if she wasn't fully thinking it through..

"don't do it" John warned at her.."mind your own damn business" he said to the man and then quickly looked at Natalie..

"actually were not" Natalie stepped past John who reached out and grabbed her arm, within seconds the large man was in front of him..

"I think the lady would like to go" the man said warningly as John sighed..

"Listen Bro" John said angrily.."i said were ok"

"and I think you better get your damn hands off of her" the man eyed him down as Natalie yanked her arm back quickly as John shook his head.."You got a problem bloodsucker?" the man glared at John..

"You have no idea who your messing with man" John warned as he moved closer to the giant of a man..

"actually I would like to leave" Natalie said with a smirk towards John and then she looked at the guy who was almost toe to toe with John..

"You just head on out of here little lady" the man said towards her but he kept his eyes on John..

"why thank you kind sir" Natalie said in an overly pleasant voice as she spun and began to walk down the alley..

"I'm gonna ask you once to get out of my face" John warned to the guy..

"Or what?" the guy raised an eyebrow at him and smiled..

"You've been warned" John said as he went to strike the man in the face but the guy moved unbelievably fast as he dodged the punch. It actually caught John by surprise. I mean he knew wolves were fast but vamps were faster but this guy was like a wolf on steroids..

"i think it is the other way around vamp boy" the guy said as he used both of his hands to push on Johns chest with incredible force. Literally propelling John into the air and against the brick building behind him.

The sound made Natalie spin around as she watched John slam into the building. He actually left a dent in it and the large man wasn't done yet as he moved over to John faster then Natalie could witness and then he was grabbing John and tossing him like a rag doll up in the air.. Natalie's eyes blinked in shock at the sight before her. What the hell was that guy?

"You wanna say something else?" the guy mocked John who barely managed to land on his feet..

"Oh now your gonna pay!" John yelled as he lunged for the guy but again he missed. He never missed! The guy grabbed him hard by the neck as Natalie watched in shock..

"Stop, stop it!" the words left her mouth quick as she ran over and the guy looked at her. His eyes burning red as she stumbled backwards.. John looked absolutely baffled and he was. He just couldn't get a grip on this guy.

"don't you worry Miss, im gonna take care of it" the man said to her as she blinked in shock and he moved fast until Johns back hit the wall..

"STOP!" Natalie screamed out now as the guy looked at her..

"alright alright, you heard the lady George, put him down" a mans voice from behind Natalie was heard as she spun and faced an older gray haired guy dressed in an expensive suit. He looked to be in his fifties and his eyes, my god his eyes seemed to almost glow..

The man dropped John in a heart beat as he spun around and John got to his feet. He didn't wait a second to lunge at the man from behind. Grabbing onto the back of his shirt he whirled him in the air.."fucking steroid freak!" John yelled angrily..

George was up and on his feet in seconds and charging at John.."Now I said thats enough George!" the grey haired man yelled out as George skidded to a stop as John spun and looked at him.."i apologize for my friend" the man begun as he looked at John and then Natalie..

"you should tell your little pet here to get the hell out of here before I tear him a new one" John warned angrily..

"George didn't mean any harm, just a concerned citizen" the man said softly as john walked over towards Natalie and George glared over at him.."you should go clean yourself up George, I have this under control" he said towards the angry man and then he looked at Natalie and John.."my apologies again, I don't believe we have been introduced properly, my name is Mitch Lawrence" he put his hand out to John who just looked at it..

"well thank you Mr. Lawrence" Natalie said quickly as she went to shake his hand but he took it instead and kissed the top of it..

"Please call me Mitch and the pleasure is all mine" he smiled.."i do believe I owe you both a drink"

"No thanks, we were just leaving" John snapped. He didn't trust this man at all. Something was definitely off with him. He couldn't read his thoughts and he was clearly human..John went to grab Natalie's hands but she stepped back..

"I could use a drink" she said quickly as she refused to look at John but she could feel his penetrating stare on her back.."The names Red and this is" she began to say towards Mitch..

"Jonathan Mcbain, I know who you are" Mitch said surprisingly as John looked at him quick.."quite the reputation you have young man" he added..

"I'm sorry do I know you" John said angrily as he walked closer to the man..

"I mean no harm, its just your in my town and well I know everyone who is in my town" Mitch smiled at John and then looked at Natalie.."now how about that drink"

"lead the way" Natalie said quickly as she shot John a look. This could definitely be the lead that they were looking for and she wasn't about to let John shoo her away again.


End file.
